QWAQWA EDUCATION CHAMPION REMEBERED

By Masilo Malakwane

QWAQWA – The President of Diwankwetla South Africa Party, Moeketsi Lebesa led a memorial lecture on the founder of DPSA and former chief minister of the QwaQwa Bantustan, Dr Tshiame Kenneth Mopeli, on Friday last week at Bapala Creative Arts Youth Centre.

The youth of Bapala Creative Arts and Services in Riverside had organised the memorial lecture about the life and times of Dr. TK Mopeli, which highlighted his journey and legacy.

Speaking at the event, Lebesa described Dr. TK Mopeli as an exemplary leader who championed service delivery and giving black south Africans a political home.

“When the history of this area is re-written, his name will be written in golden letters. Mopeli’s name will be revered and remembered with gratitude and treasured in history as an immortal name.

“Dr. TK Mopeli’s life is a message to all leaders to raise their vision from self-centred individualism to promote the welfare of humanity as a whole. It is unfortunate that leadership of today is fraught with layers of egotism, desires, corruption, greed, anger and jealousy of varying thickness.

“The loss of Mopeli’s physical presence has done little to diminish his impact, for he was mankind at its triumphant best. Mopeli withstood persecution. He bravely stood for justice, democracy, compassion, truthfulness and eschewed bitterness and revenge. Of all the people in modern history, Dr. TK Mopeli was by far the greatest. As we celebrate his life, a life not lived in vain, TK has walked from this earth into the eternity,” said Lebesa.

For his part, Bapala Creative Arts Youth Centre founder, Tjhopo Bulwana, shared his contentment with Moeketsi Lebesa for the ‘comprehensive lecture’.

“We as the youth of today need to follow in the footsteps of great leaders of Dr. TK’s calibre. You can tell from what we’ve heard, having built more than 600 schools and six Colleges in QwaQwa, that indeed he served the people of this area with distinction,” said Bulwana.

Dr. TK Mopeli was born on the 20^th September 1930 in Namahadi Village.  He was the son of Chief Charles Mopeli, who was the son of Chief Paulos Mopeli Moholo Mokhachane, son of King Mokhachane, the brother of King Moshoeshoe the founder of Basotho nation. He obtained a BA degree with UNISA, majoring in Sesotho, History, Native Administration, Afrikaans and Netherlands. He also obtained a BA (Hons) with UNISA, majoring in Afrikaans and Netherlands.