A REPOSITORY OF THE SESOTHO JOINS HIS ANCESTORS

By Libuseng Nyaka

QWAQWA- The memorial service of the late Dr Kgotso Pieter David Maphalla who died at age of 66, on April 5, will be held  at Phuthaditjhaba multi-purpose hall on Monday April 12,2021, while his funeral will  be held at  Bohlokong New hall, in Bethlehem on Wednesday April 14.

Messages of condolences continue to pour to the family of Prolific Sesotho author Dr Kgotso Pieter David Maphalla who passed on April,5, 2021 at the age of 66, at Medic-Clinic in Bethlehem surrounded by close family.

The Free State born Maphalla , a prolific author of Sesotho literature who has written in excess of 70 books in his career that spans over 40 years might have gone, but his legacy will remain and be passed to generations to come through his literary workswhich have been prescribed for use in schools and tertiary intuitions. They have also been the subject of research by Masters and PhD students at universities.

While mourning  his death, the Free State Department of Sports, Arts , Culture and Recreation  described Dr Maphalla as a rare gem  that is never too easy to find.

“The loss of Dr Maphalla is akin to the closure of a resourceful library which many of us looked upon as a lodestar for development of literature  in the Free State and beyond ,” the MEC of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Limakatso Mahasa said.

Maphalla may have passed on, but his archived worked will be a continued treasury. He received numerous accolades, the apex of which was the Honourary Doctorate from the University of Free State. From winning the orator of the year awards as a student at Tshiya College of Education in 1976 , he went on to amass a string of awards which included Radio Sesotho Astea, Thomas Mofolo Floating Trophy and recognition from a number of publishing houses.

The Department of Sports ,Arts, Culture and Recreation who said they were honoured to deal closely with Dr Maphalla through his works,  were able to recognise his contribution to Sesotho Literature with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

According to the Department of Sports, Arts , Culture and Recreation, to ensure that his legacy lives on, it has a repository of Dr Maphalla’s work which public can view at the Sesotho Literature Museum.

During an interview with The Guard Newspaper  at his homestead at Mmakong  in 2018, Dr Maphalla said his writing was inspired by Kemoele Edward K.E Ntsane whose book titled “Ke bao batho” he grew up reading, and has inspired his love for Sesotho.

A deeply religious person who never misses to praise his God also reflects in his book ‘Modimo O Moholo’, loosely translated as “God is Great.”

Unstoppable writer said  even after his car accident his passion for writing did not fade away, instead he taught himself to write with the left hand as he continued to praise God’s grace that he was still alive .

A Teacher by profession he said he ended up in parliament after he was invited by former Chief Minister of QwaQwa Homeland Dr Tshiame Kenneth Mopeli, thereby becoming the first Secretary of the Parliament .

He also expressed appreciation that even the government has come to the party and started talking about the preservation of Sesotho and other indigenous languages.