19 Oct 2022

GABORONE- Today marks the end of an era as the legendry journalist Kesaobaka Kooreng popularly known as KK retires from the public service after 38 years.

In an interview Kooreng, said he started his journalism career as a cub reporter with the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) in 1984 and rose through the ranks up to his current position  of chief broadcasting officer with Radio Botswana.

KK has been the head of Radio Botswana News and Current Affairs since 2011 and among his career highlights is leading a broadcasting services team that travelled around the country covering Poverty Eradication Workshops that saw many Batswana wriggling themselves out of the shackles of poverty.

He was first posted to Letlhakane in the Central District village 1984, where he headed the Information and Broadcasting office, working alongside Mr Onaliketso Tlhogokima as a messenger reporter and Bontle Ngwako as a driver/reporter.

During that period he proved to be a proficient writer and one of his bosses, Mr Johannes Pilane never forgot an introduction (lead) of one of his stories. “Letlhakane is susceptible to numerous criminal activities as it is juxtaposed between two diamond mines of Letlhakane Diamond Mine and Orapa,” read the lead.

Kooreng said it was at the time when Mr Epena Ngatangue, one of BOPA veteran journalist was working in Maun and he had to go for further studies in Cameroon. KK was the nearest to fill his boots and at times it appeared like he was working in Maun.

Kooreng said that was before the discovery of other diamond mines such as Damtshaa and Lucara diamond that had become popular around the world due to the quality and value of diamonds produced there.

He was an all-rounder reporter doing a variety of news stories including police roundups, court, sports, culture and entertainment, politics and business .

It was through his business reporting acumen that he started the Sehalana sa Papadi segment that he subsequently co-hostedwith Kabo Garechaba at Radio Botswana

He extensively covered President Sir Ketumile Masire during local and international trips. In one of those trips, he said, he covered Sir Ketumile when he went to bid farewell to the Commonwealth Family at the Dominican Republic before stepping down from the presidency.

Kooreng also travelled extensively with Mr Mogae and he explained that one of the trips that always jumped to his mind was when he travelled with the President to cover the United Nations General Assembly in the United States of America, following which they travelled to Canada where they observed Parliament in session with its robust debates that at times it appeared to turn violent.

“One of the trips that vividly come to my mind is when I went to cover the All Africa Games in Cairo, Egypt in 1992, mind you this was the first time Botswana participated in the prestigious African event. The team had in its midst Tsoseletso Magang doing 100m, Wilson Theleso marathon, France Mabiletsa boxing, Camera Ntereke athletics and others,” he said.

The team, he said was under the leadership of former Commissioner of Prisons, Mr Joseph Orebotse and Shakes Kebualemang of the Botswana Defence Force, who was taking care of the boxers.

While working at BOPA, he said, he had the opportunity to mentor upcoming journalists in the likes of Thebeyame Ramoroka, Gregory Kelebonye, Bester Gabotlale, Chippa Legodimo, Mpho Dibeela and others.“I remember overhearing Thebeyame Ramoroka interviewing a news source and he kept saying Morena, Monngame, Rraetsho and Sir. After that I called him aside to let him understand that in an interview the interviewer and the interviewee are at par and it is only after the interview that he can use all the synonyms of respect he can think of,” he said.

He said Ramoroka took the advice and continued to pass the lesson on to others whenever he got the opportunity.

While with BOPA, he said he went for auditions to read the news at Radio Botswana and he did wonders with the Setswana Language, which kick-started his journey with Radio Botswana. 

Kooreng was well rounded in news agency journalism having studied at Indian Institute of Mass Communication at Jawahalal Nehru University in New Delhi and proceeded to do a degree in Media/Journalism at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.

At some stage he was transferred to Serowe as Central District Bureau Chief and while there he proved that he has what it takes to lead. 

He was  later transferred on promotion to Gaborone, where he became the Head of Radio Botswana News and Current Affairs, a position that he is vacating today on compulsory retirement. ends