A glittering array of eminent artists descended on Pretoria State Theater on Wednesday to pay glowing tributes to slain erudite playwright, author and Black Consciousness firebrand, Gomolemo Mokae.
Mokae (61) was shot in his Garankuwa home over two months ago. His killers are still at large.
Leading the tributes, veteran artist, Jerry Tsie, the convenor of the event, said: “We have decided to honor this great giant by celebrating black excellence in the persons of black authors.
“While they thought they had killed him, they didn’t know that like a Phoenix, his name would be kept alive in our memories.”
Master of ceremonies and motivational speaker, Billy Selekane, described Mokae as a vessel of black people’s dreams. “In our culture to speak of the departed is to keep their names alive. Mokae was an intellectual warrior. Why are we so commemorative instead of being celebratory.”
Several speakers described Mokae as an expression of joy in the arts and literary field, with some saying he was a force of nature this country had produced.
“His mastery of the language made the stars of heaven dance,” speakers said.
Among his books were Lesego and Secret in my bosom. The dramas he produced include Lesenethini. They urged the country to honor his legacy by holding annual memorial lectures.
