12 Jan 2026

A letter written by the late Kaone Morubisi to President Advocate Duma Boko in December 2025 will be preserved as a memento of great value.

Addressing mourners on Saturday morning at the Dikoloi residence in Kanye following the burial of Kaone Morubisi, President Boko said the letter carried deep symbolic meaning.

He said after reading the letter in Kaone’s presence, it reminded him of a letter once written to Martin Luther King Jr. by a child, which was later preserved as a precious memory.

President Boko said the letter, together with Kaone’s funeral programme, would be framed as treasured keepsakes, symbolising that children possessed the ability and capacity to make meaningful contributions to nation-building.

He thanked God for Kaone’s life, describing him as a child of outstanding conduct and remarkable boldness and called upon both young people and elders to emulate him.

President Boko said he was in disbelief upon learning of Kaone’s passing and struggled to come to terms with the loss. He encouraged the bereaved family to find comfort in God and accept their son’s passing by appreciating the time they were blessed to share with him.

President Boko further commended Kaone’s grandparents for raising and moulding a responsible and well-behaved child, attributing this to the wisdom accumulated by elders over many years, which he said informed government’s decision to increase old-age pension benefits.

For her part, the deceased’s grandmother, Ms Pananki Dikoloi, said Kaone came to live with her in 2019 after his mother secured employment. Ms Dikoloi described Kaone as mature beyond his age, adding that he even once advised his parents to give him a sibling.

She said Kaone lived with a health condition that did not significantly affect his daily life, although he occasionally complained of headaches while at school.

Ms Dikoloi said Kaone  had long wanted to meet President Boko and told her about the letter he had written to the President while they were on their way to a kgotla meeting at Kanye main kgotla. 

She said Kaone was brave and determined, recalling how he confidently approached officers from the Office of the President to enquire about procedures for submitting a letter.

According to Ms Dikoloi, the letter appealed to President Boko to consider lowering the voting age so that he would be eligible to vote in the 2029 general elections.

The Member of Parliament for Kanye West, Mr Victor Phologolo, described Kaone as a hero and a courageous young politician. Mr Phologolo said Kaone had paved way for his peers to assume active roles in contributing meaningfully to national development.

Kaone’s teacher, Ms Kaone Thololwane, described him as a smart and confident learner, dismissing social media allegations that the letter submitted to the President was written on her  behalf.

She said Kaone was a visionary capable of independently articulating his ideas, contrary to claims made by some critics. Kaone passed away at the age of 13. He was a Standard Six pupil at Segopotso Primary School and is survived by his parents. BOPA