Anti-apartheid Struggle hero and a stalwart of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), Dr Gomolemo Mokae, has been murdered at his home Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1 home north of Pretoria.
Dr Mokae’s lifeless body was found with evidence of a violent death. According to reports, a postmortem has revealed that the “People’s Doctor” was “shot on both arms and one bullet in the chest”. He was 61.
Dr Mokae rose to prominence as a national spokesperson for the Azanian People’s Organization (AZAPO). He was a fierce critic of apartheid and consummate BC adherent who espoused Biko’s persuasive message of black solidarity and self-sufficiency as well as emancipation from mental slavery. Dr Mokae joined the BCM ranks whilst a no-nonsense medical student at the University of Natal Medical School, now known as the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine. He graduated with a degree in MBChB.
He served his medical internship at the famous Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, the biggest on the continent.
He later opened a general practice in the sprawling township before relocating to his roots in Ga-Rankuwa. He opened a surgery in a shack in a shanty town in Ramagodi outside Brits in the North West. When asked why such a structure, Dr Mokae simply said majority of the people lived in shacks and he didn’t want to be any different. He was famous to treating destitute patients for free of charge, and said he made up for the deficit by the paying patients who were on medical aid.
Dr Mokae was a born creative maestro. He wore many hats effortlessly. He could write a Television script, a documentary or movie. From his days at the medical school, in-between his studies he wrote regularly for various publications including Drum magazine and titles in the Argus group, now known as Independent Group.
Like his literary hero, Kenyan scholar Ngugi wa Thiong’o, he strongly believed in communication through mother tongue. He single-handedly wrote a TV script for the series known as Gaabo Motho (Someone’s Home), which was based on the emotional story of the mass return back to SA of thousands of former freedom fighters from exile following the unbanning of the ANC, PAC and SACP by the FW De Klerk regime in 1990, marking the official end of apartheid.
Dr Mokae held a view that when you teach or communicate with people in their mother tongue, their grasp of the subject matter was a lot more efficient.
He also wrote TV script for The Secret to my Bosom, a short drama that was premised on his own book. The SABC aired Dr Mokae’s works. But methinks one of his greatest literary achievements was his Tswana novel, Masego, a riveting read about the Struggle and 1976 Soweto Students uprisings. Masego became a set-book for Grade 12 learners, and the feat truly catapulted Dr Mokae to the greatest heights.
He received several awards for his writings, including the Vista Prestigious, the Bertrams V.O. and the African Achievers Award.
In 2003 the Vista University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his literary works and contribution for the struggle against apartheid.
Politically, Dr Mokae stood head and shoulder above many in championing the Black Consciousness philosophy of Steve Biko. Belonging to a relatively struggling organization that was AZAPO, he contributed financially in ways that many comrades in the know describe as absolutely generous.
Yet he never gloated about anything, least of all his amazing achievements. In his latter years, Dr Mokae’s health, and life, took a nasty tumble after he suffered a stroke. For many years until his demise he survived mainly on royalties from his previous works. He never ever fully recovered – physically, mentally and financially. To compound matters, he was divorced from his medical doctor wife with who they had one a child, a son.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said Dr Mokae’s body was discovered by neighbours, and then alerted the SAPS. From the police’s standpoint, who has opened a murder docket, it looks like Dr Mokae died several days ago. The SAPS described Dr Mokae’s body as “decomposed”.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Rest well, Tower. One nation, one Azania.
