05 Jun 2022

Veteran journalist, Ms Kebaeditse Baitlotli, is retiring on June 6 following an illustrious public service career spanning 41years.

Concidentally, she is calling it a day in her 60th birthday.

Her remarkable journey started in 1981 when she was hired as a cleaner, later becoming a messenger cum reporter in then Department of Information and Broadcasting.

Ms Baitlotli, alias Ausi Keba, did not see herself as just a cleaner and messenger. She was keen on breaking new ground. Journalism was her next step. Having dropped out of school, Ms Baitlotli found her way back as an adult student doing part time studies at Kweneng Rural Development Association in Molepolole where she passed her Form 5 in 2002.

That bolstered her resolve to advance further as a scribe becoming one of the popular voices on Radio Botswana’s Newsreel Programme (Tatediso Ya Dikgang) with the likes of Ms Nnana Mosase, Mr Mojaboswa Jabeng, Mr Godfrey Moahi and Ms Dinah Mfulwane,

Many who became hooked to this programme never realised that this crop of reporters were not trained journalists because nothing distinguished them from their learned colleagues. The deftness in their voices betrayed nothing, but passion and determination in what they set out to achieve.  Ausi Keba distinguished herself as an astute contributor for the programme. That was before the entrance of Botswana Television and private radio stations.

 Radio Botswana was the most listened to with Mr Bampeile Sehume as one of the popular anchors of the programme.

Her hardworking and insatiable appetite to learn new things paid off when she got government sponsorship to enrol for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media, Culture and Communications at the Nelson Mandel Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 2011.

Giving account of how she became attracted to journalism, Ms Baitlotli says she had to do ‘What the Romans do’ after she was inspired by the late Desmond Montshiwa who was also a BOPA reporter in Lobatse where she was stationed as a cleaner.

She described Mr Montshiwa as one who never missed filling a story for newsreel programme which rubbed off into her and prompting her to want to learn more about the craft.

“I had always loved Radio and I used to admire reporters and anchors of the newsreel programme such as the late Mr Michael Ditlhakeng and Mr Jerry Masete who made the programme interesting. They would easily cut you out if they felt you did not put any effort in your story,” she reminisces.

She recalls that one of the things that made her love journalism, something she would later love to do, was court reporting in that she used to accompany Mr Montshiwa to Lobatse High Court.

She then started covering court cases after basic print journalism training that was offered by the Department of Information and Broadcasting as an inhouse training and other related courses at Ramatea Rural Innovation Centre in Kanye in the late 1980s. Part of the training being reporting crime.

The first time she heard judgement delivered was when she was covering a robbery case that occurred in Motokwe. By then robberies were not common. Consequently, she recalled that the first few days, she suffered insomnia.

“I never heard of such judgement where someone was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until they died.” The sentence was passed by the then Chief Justice Moleleki Mokama,” she remembers.

Some of her fond memories of the yesteryears court cases include the landmark case on the murder of the 14-year-old Segametsi Mogomostsi, a schoolgirl who was found dead in Mochudi

She says during those days, crime scene albums formed part of court exhibits and as a journalist one had a privilege to view the pictures. “I then started becoming an avid reader of crime stories to broaden my knowledge and grasp legal jargon,” she reckons.

Ms Baitlotli’s love for court reporting would grow by the day as she intrinsically got hooked to legal jargon from the likes of Justice Kwasi Gyeke-Dako and the late Mr Lizo Ngcongco who made court proceedings interesting.

Meanwhile her elder daughter, Ms Lulu Maselwa described her mother as an avid listener of news. She says growing up, they knew that whenever it was time for the news and immediately the signature song blurred out form the radio, they had to keep quiet, something they eventually became accustomed to.

She said Ms Baitlotli loved her job with all her heart and she lived the news and current affairs. Although they are now grown up and have moved out to their homes, their childhood memories revolved around how their mother would often leave them alone to cover some weekend assignments.

Ms Maselwa says she, together with her siblings, they are grateful for their mother’s life throughout her service at Information Services and the training she acquired as  a mature student. She carved their career paths as she was exemplary and disciplined towards her work.

“She taught us that radio was the only medium bringing important announcements from government back then,” she reminisced.

Assistant Superintendent Uyapo Koketso of Molepolole police says they had a good relationship with Ms Baitlotli because of her attention to details. He adds that she understood the court processes and her reporting was always accurate.

She thus gained their trust especially handling sensitive information. Assistant Superintendent Koketso notes that Ms Baitlotli was especially privileged with breaking news in her area of operation because of the good relationship she cultivated with sources.

“As we know, newspapers can be used as reference in courts, but with her, we were sure that distortions were practically impossible,” he adds.

Kgosi Kgari Sechele II of Bakwena says although he keeps away from the limelight, he felt comfortable with Ms Baitlotli because of her accurate reporting.

“Ausi Keba o ne a eletsega, gape a le kelothoko, re le Bakwena re ipela ka ene, ‘ Meaning that she was envied and always cautious hence her tribesmen were thankful to her.’

Baitlotli has served in different places including her home village Molepolole, Letlhakeng, Lobatse and Serowe. She hails from Mogogorung Ward in Molepolole – a mother of three, Gobakwe, Lulu and Ame and has four grandchildren ENDS