IN PICS | Gomolemo Mokae remembered for his activism, smile, despite facing adversities

Author, anti-apartheid activist and health practitioner Dr Gomolemo Mokae will be remembered for his intellect, activism and providing free healthcare to the needy while putting on a big smile despite going through personal hardships.

Guests gathered at the Thabong Lodge in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, on Tuesday for the funeral of the black consciousness activist who was found dead and partly decomposed in his home last week.

Mokae, 61, was last seen alive on February 28 and was found shot dead in his bed in his Ga-Rankuwa home on March 5.

The funeral was attended by the leadership of the Azanian People’s Organisation of which Mokae was a member.

The service was led by veteran broadcaster and friend Tim Modise as programme director, who said the Ga-Rankuwa community had suffered a great loss.

“We feel pain. It is not just pain that [Mokae] left us but we are pained by how he left us. On the positive side, he showed us he has purpose and accountability,” Modise said.

According to a long-time neighbour, Paul Moropa, Mokae had a lot of love for the community and was dedicated to raising awareness about politics and the state of the country.

“He loved to open our eyes politically. I got my eyes opened, even now my eyes are opened because of him. When he came across political news in the newspaper he would come to me and say, 'Paul, look, things are falling apart'. He was a tower in our community. We used to call each other ‘tower’. He wanted things to be done the correct way. What hurts is he was my neighbour. This country is cruel.”

A close family friend, Mrs Mosupye, 94, said she knew Mokae since he was a small boy as she became good friends with his mother. In the Mokae home, everyone was referred to as “my friend”, as the families had a good relationship.

She recalled a night when her grandchild was suffering from a fever and an asthma attack. As Mokae had just returned from qualifying as a doctor and had opened his practice, she rushed the child to his office the next morning. 

“He gave me a prescription and told me to go to the chemist. He said he had learnt from medical school that a child with asthma should live near the ocean or a lake. My grandchild is grown up and has a child. He moved to Washington DC when he was small to live with his aunt, who lived near a lake. When he returned in matric he had outgrown asthma. [Mokae] was right,” said the elderly lady. 

Some spoke about his trials and tribulations, including a stroke he suffered nearly two decades ago and receiving financial help and groceries from neighbours.

Rev Kgomotso Modiselle said while many people had positive words with which to describe Mokae, his accomplishments and his revolutionary personality, it was painful seeing him go through hardship. 

“He faced a divorce, a devastating stroke, he faced financial hardship in the late years, which led to a life of solitude and a broken heart. The painful thing is that the people who stand here and talk about Mokae — we were not there when he needed us most. Some of these people are being seen for the first time on the programme.

“We failed Mokae. We have described him in many ways. Some of us, when we met him in the dusty streets of Ga-Rankuwa, we were covering our mouths just to hide the expression of shame and shock. Yet, we did not help Mokae,” Modiselle said.

Despite this, Mokae always held his head up high and walked around with a smile on his face, said long-time friend Tony Mokoka. He met Mokae in 1980 when they both attended Tsogo High School and used to have tea together after school at Mokae’s home.

“He was a persistent, dedicated, industrious and resourceful student. He was well-received and held in high esteem by his peers and teachers.

“His general knowledge was way above average. I will not forget our tea sessions at his house. He was always showing a smile. You will see in the pictures shown that one thing that’s unique about his characteristics was that he always showed a smile. He would laugh, even when facing adversity,” he said

Former Azapo leader Lybon Mabasa said he was the one who announced Mokae’s death and was questioned about who could have been behind the killing.

“Human beings do not go into houses and kill people and have the courage to cover him with a blanket. The things that killed our comrade do not qualify to be human beings, nor do their friends, relatives and parents. It takes a lot of human feeling to be a human being,” said Mabasa.

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