WeeklySA_AdminLITERARY:He was a keen-eyed, talented wordsmith passionate about books and journalism…
By Victor Mecoamere
Arguably, a human being is like a tree: one root and stem, many branches and an inordinately higher number of leaves.
So, I would lie to assert, humbly, that it can be argued that recently departed former colleague at Sowetan, Saint Papa Molakeng – who sadly passed on due to complications related to diabetes – was also like a tree, as he had been one person who had a myriad friends for various seasons and reasons.
And this is exactly why his untimely death at the weekend – aged 51, leaving an equally-devasted wife, four children, three brothers and two sisters, as well as countless buddies – is hard to accept.
This is because, besides being a loving and loveable person, Molakeng made friends, easily, and treasured acquaintances. One of his bosom buddies, former Sunday World editor and author Sandile Memela, said this week that Molakeng’s departure had left the local journalism canvas emptier. This is true because this was one exceptional articulator who had made a mark as a feature writer, columnist and book reviewer for publications including Sowetan, Weekly Mail, New Nation, New Age, and True Love and Drum magazines.
But, what was unbeknown to many, was that Molakeng was a keen-eyed literary editor and proof-reader, and had coincidentally helped enhance several books by the self-same Memela. I met Molakeng in the mid-nineties and we used to ride the same train to work, at Sowetan, in Industria, west of Johannesburg.
These train journeys – especially in the morning – used to be dull without the daily, albeit informal lectures from legendary poet Don “Zinga” Mattera, who was Sowetan’s associate editor. Besides being extremely talented, Molakeng held a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wits University (2002), and an Honours degree in journalism (2007) from the University of South Africa. Molakeng was also a quixotic character.
Illustratively, we had all known him at Sowetan to be Tshokolo Molakeng, but, somehow, he was able to convince all and sundry that he had changed his “handle” to SaintPapa Molakeng, and this had stuck to the end, as it were.
Most of Molakeng’s pals, especially in the newspaper arena, flooded social media with heartfelt tributes.
Molakeng’s distraught wife, Mmapaballo, her torn brother, Thapelo Mokoena and Molakeng’s brother, Senku, told Weekly SA Mirror that they were unanimous on one trait that had set the man apart: he was loving, loveable, made friends, easily, and had a string of long time cronies, loved sports, especially soccer and was a staunch Kaizer chiefs supporter, had a healthy sense of humour and was an avid reader.
Said Mmapaballo, “He was also a doting and adoring father to his children five year old Kutlwano, 12 year old Naledi, Katleho (26) and Kamohelo (28). Saint loved us all, dearly. But he had a very short fuse.”
Molakeng, who was born in Ventersdorp, studied at the local Boikhutso Primary School and later at Thulare High School in Lebotlwane, North West.
He will be buried at Ruigtesloot, Hammanskraal, North West on Saturday July 24.
