North West chief dies after short illness

The Baphuting ba ga Nawa family and community are preparing to lay to rest Kgosi Kabelo Nawa, their chief, who died from a short illness, in similar fashion to his predecessor.

Nawa, 36, died at home in the Moretele local municipality, in the North West, on Saturday after complaining of headaches during the week.

His aunt and family spokesperson, Dimakatso Nawa, told TimesLIVE the cause of the sudden headaches was unknown.

“The doctors could not confirm. They didn’t know what happened,” she said.

Nawa continued to complain of headaches on Saturday but later died at home. He was with his mother and siblings at the time of his passing, his aunt said.

“We are still struggling to come to terms with his sudden death. This person, who was so strong, suddenly passed. How he passed so suddenly left us broken,” she said.

Nawa took the reins in 2019 after his father, the late Kgosi Simon Molatlhegi Nawa, also died suddenly after a short illness in 2017.

“He also suffered from a brief illness. He complained of being tired and he slept but never woke up. It took us two years to crown Kgosi Kabelo because we were still mourning his father,” said the aunt.

As for the way forward for the family, Dimakatso said it was still premature to say.

“We are still mourning and it’s too early to decide on a way forward. We will make that decision once we have completed our mourning period, which we are not sure how long it will be,” she said.

Since taking over the Baphuting ba ga Nawa, Kgosi Kabelo had embarked on some charitable work including donating food parcels to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the same year, he joined then North West education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemala in the renovation and construction of a school.

Matsemala said she was executing the promise she had made to Kgosi Kabelo’s father to improve school facilities in the area.

The Moretele municipality said tributes were pouring in for the late chief, and a memorial service would be held on Thursday at the Baphuting ba ga Nawa tribal office in Lebotloane.

Kgosi Kabelo will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Royal Cemetery.

TimesLIVE

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