01 Dec 2022

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has encouraged Serowe’s Motswaledi and Rantsiapana families to remain steadfast in their faith  during their time of bereavement.

Conveying his condolences to the two families on Tuesday, he urged them not to despair but to draw comfort from Batswana’s long-standing tradition of sticking together during times of difficulty.

“As a nation we have a time-tested tradition of coming together and supporting those grieving the loss of a loved one. This is a beautiful thing that we should continue holding close to our hearts,” he told the Motswaledi family who lost their patriarch, Mr Thatayaone Motswaledi, on November 18.

He said in its pain and deep sense of loss, the Motswaledi household should cling to their faith in God and take comfort in the fact that many fellow citizens shared their grief.

Mr Motswaledi, father to the late politican Mr Gomolemo Motswaledi, will be laid to rest in Serowe on December 2.

His son, Mr Gape Motswaledi informed President Masisi that the deceased had grappled with ill-health from 2018.

To the Rantsiapanas, the President said the Setswana adage that ‘fifing go tshwaranwa ka kobo’ (meaning during difficult times, people should cling to one another) always came into play during times of bereavement.

Family representative Ms Neo Kealotswe, who sits in the Botswana Democratic Party central committee, told Dr Masisi that the late Mr Molebalebedi Rantsiapana  succumbed to a short illness on November 22.

His funeral is scheduled for  December 3, also in Serowe.ENDS