Private donors are coming forward to support President Duma Boko’s call for a monument to honour the legacy of Pitseng Gaoberekwe as a symbol of defiance of human rights violations. Staff Writer TEFO PHEAGE reports
Following President Duma Boko’s call for the graveside of Pitseng Gaoberekwe to be preserved as a monument symbolising defiance of human rights violations, the Gaoberekwe family has disclosed that a private individual has approached them about erecting a fitting tombstone in honour of their father’s legacy.
Speaking at the funeral service of Gaoberekwe that coincided with International Human Rights Day on 10 December last year, President Boko emphasised the importance of preserving Gaoberekwe’s struggle for justice and equality.
In an exclusive interview this week, family spokesman Smith Moeti confirmed that the family had indeed received requests from private individuals who were keen to help fulfil the President’s desire.
Authentic tribute
However, Moeti stated that talks were still ongoing and no final decisions have been made regarding the tombstone. “We have been approached by some well-meaning individuals who have expressed their desire to help fulfil the President’s wish,” he said.
“We are currently in discussions with them to ensure that all stakeholders are involved. However, we are not rushing this process.
“It is important that whatever we do serves as an authentic tribute to our father, reflects the goodwill that we received from people in their huge numbers and the expectations of the President himself.”
Dignity of BaSarwa
Moeti said Gaoberekwe’s right to be buried in his ancestral home was not just a matter of legal rights but a fight for the dignity of BaSarwa.
“Pitseng Gaoberekwe was not just a victim of injustice,” Moeti pointed out. “He became a symbol of all those whose voices are silenced in the face of power. We are proud to carry his torch forward and ensure that his story is remembered.”
He added that the nation will be informed of any major developments regarding the monument.
Prolonged and contentious
Pitseng Gaoberekwe’s remains were finally laid to rest last in December after a prolonged and contentious battle between the family, the government and the courts.
The dispute over his burial rights erupted when his family asserted their wish to lay him to rest in his ancestral home inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in accordance with his express wishes before his died.
However, both the High Court and the Court of Appeal rejected the family’s wishes, citing legal reasons and upholding the government’s decision to deny the burial request inside the CKGR.
Boko declares burial day
The family’s sorrows ended following a change of government at the end of October last year.
This prompted President Boko to declare in his maiden State of the Nation Address, delivered on 19 November 2024, that Gaoberekwe would be buried on 10 December, coinciding with the International Human Rights Day.