A hero has fallen: Dr TK Mopeli Dr Tshiame Kenneth Mopeli the founder of Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa and former Chief Minister of Qwaqwa. Dr TK is the son of Chief Charles Mopeli, who was the son of Chief Paulos Mopeli Moholo Mokhachane, son of King Mokhachane, brother of King Moshoeshoe I –the founder of Basotho nation. He was born on the 20th September 1930 at Namahadi. He attended school at Namahadi (1937 - 1944), Etembeni Farm School (1945-1946) , Wilberforce in 1947 (Form II and III ) in one year, Marianhill (1948-1951) Matric (JMB) and Post Matric -Teachers Course. He taught at the following schools Bantu High now Bodibeng in Kroonstad. Phiritona Secondary in Heilbron when his school topped all schools in four provinces in South Africa. His students attained first an,d second class only. He obtained BA degree with UNISA majoring in Sesotho, History, Native Administration, Afrikaans and Nederland. He also obtained BA Hons with UNISA majoring in Afrikaans and Nederlands. University of the North conferred him with honorary doctorate in Administration. As a teacher he was a leader and staunch supporter of OFSATA. He was an announcer at Radio Bantu now Lesedi FM, SABC. He was also the Governor of Development Bank of Southern Africa. In 1974 he was elected a leader of newly established Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa the position he held till 1997. As a leader of governing Party he was elected Chief Minister of the then Qwaqwa Homeland in 1975 to 1994. Dr TK Mopeli was married to Matseliso Judith Moru and blessed with four children of which three predeceased him In 1974 apartheid regime issued proclamation 203 of 1974 with the aim of lending legislative powers to the so called self governing territories. Although Dr TK Mopeli was strongly opposed to the policy of separate development, he and his co founders decided to participate in the system and hoped to undermine apartheid from within. His position as Chief Minister gave him the authority to reject nominal independence for Qwaqwa, which rendered the grand scheme of apartheid untenable. Dr TK established the Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa in 1974 for the prime purpose of giving black South Africans a political home and a platform from which internal black democratic opposition to apartheid could again be resurrected and made into a powerful instrument for liberation as black liberation movements were forced into exile and their leaders jailed. It was vital that an internal black opposition front was established at the time to continue to contribute to nation building by providing education to the masses. Indeed every black cloud has a silver lining. Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa was established in November 1974 in Kroonstad by amongst others Dr TK Mopeli, Chief MG Mohale, Chief RH Mopeli, Mr Nthota Mopeli-Paulus, Mr Caswell Koekoe from Kroonstad, Mr Seisa Ramabodu from Bloemfontein, Mr Makoanyane Khomo from Bloemfontein, Dr Tladi from Welkom, Dr Ngake from Welkom, Mr Nzunga from the Vaal, Mr Ramafikeng from West Rand and others. Dr TK vehemently opposed all attempts the apartheid regime was making to entice or cajole Qwaqwa into accepting the quasi-type independence that Pretoria was offering self-governing territories. He rejected all enticing luxuries and vain honours associated with so-called apartheid toy independence à la Pretoria. He was subjected to great pressures to accept independence, instead he popularised the slogan One Country, One Citizenship, One Passport and One Economy. In his own words Dr TK once said “.... We must unashamedly concede that the homelands are apartheid affirmed structures. But we have effectively made use of these structures as a mouth piece of our people and in order to improve the lot of our people. I have already referred to some of our achievements over the past eleven years of our rule as a party...... Some of us have striven hard in spite of political pressure to ensure that our homeland remains an integral part of RSA. We have always argued that independence a la Pretoria can never offer a viable solution to the interracial problems of this country. We would like to see the homeland government developed as regional governments within greater federal SA.” Qwaqwa was punished for refusing toy independence a la Pretoria. The regime decided not to increase equitable share of homelands that rejected independence as self strangulation. Dr TK started national fund called Qwaqwa National Development Fund. All South African from all walks of life who were symphathetic to Qwaqwa plight contributed an annual amount of R10 – 00 to this fund. The success of this initiative could be evidenced by the phenomenal growth of Qwaqwa (Schools: Diversified system of education, colleges of education, acquisition of land for settlement and commercial farming, health centres, recreational centres, road networks, the list is too long to mention). This took aparheid regime by suprise. Dr TKs government built more than 600 schools, 6 colleges and one university five years after being ensconced into power. The unprecedented move that took apartheid regime by surprise. He was the first to diversify education at the school In the 1980’s Dr TK steadfastly refused to be drawn into any constitutional negotiations with Pretoria until Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were released from jail and black organisations were unbanned. Apartheid regime established a so called National Advisory Council as the negotiating forum that would include black leaders. Dr TK Mopeli and others refused to participate in that council citing continued incarceration of some leaders. The Tri-cameral parliament of 1983 succeeded for a short time because it was opposed by Dr TK and others through the South African Black Alliance (SABA). Dr TK and Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi led a campaign to undermine the tricameral parliament.It was a collossal failure. Dr TK said “.... Furthermore, the inclusion of Coloureds and Indians in the tricameral parliament is, to say the least, not only an exercise in window dressing but is sheer tokenism.” The leaders of Indians and Coloureds betrayed black liberation struggle by joining tricameral parliament. Through his political career Dr TK has always been an independent thinker. On 29 September 1992 he refused to join the meeting of federalists and confederalists called COSAG that was aimed at opposing the Record of Understanding signed by the ANC and the South African Government. Dr Mandela has in fact expressed his gratitude for Dr TK’s stance by referring to him as ‘independent thinker’. After his release from prison Dr Nelson Mandela, in one of the meetings with Dr TK, told Dr TK that when he was in prison he used to listen to him when he spoke Afrikaans Naderland. Dr Mandela also speaks Afrikaans Naderland. He (Mandela) was impressed by his speech in Afrikaans Naderland when he said ‘Africa is black and black, but in the south there are WHITE stains’. Prison warders who were Afrikaaners rushed to Mandela and asked him to translate what TK was saying. Dr TK has since the 1970’s been advocating a full federal structure for South Africa. Today South Africa is quasi federal. We know that without the system of checks and balances contained in a federal solution, democracy in South Africa will not survive the totalitarian and authoritarian tendencies and forces operating in our country. Dr TK has always championed for clean and efficient public administration. He has no skeletons inside his political cupboard. His government, for 20 (twenty consecutive years) received a clean audit opinion by Auditor General of South Africa. Dr TK rendered unparalleled selfless service to mankind in a manner that was beyond description. His retirement from active politics left a huge gap in the political and human landscape.Twenty years down the line history has not judged him harshly nor has it punished him. History may very well remember him like this – a man who in human history bequeathed a living legacy to the future generation. When the history of this area is going to be re -written his name will be written in golden letters. Mopelis name will be revered and remembered with gratitude and treasured in history as an immortal name. That he certainly was. He was also warm, gentle, compelling and kind, while fierce, tenacious and stubborn on points of principle. He had a wonderful sense of humour. He was deeply loyal, noble and brave. I count it the greatest privilege of my life to have had Dr TK at my side, as my father and mentor. Lets celebrate his life. A life well lived. Let us not mourn like those who have no hope, but as Believers who know that a day is coming when death will be no more. The day will dawn when there will be no more tears or sickness, no more grief or pain, and on that day we will be reunited with those who have gone before. This is not goodbye. It is a brief farewell, until we meet again. . Forever and forever farewell, ( Wateng, Seqo as he was known) If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed. If not, ’tis true this parting was well made (Shakespeare) Until that happy day, may Dr TK rest in peace. Moeketsi Lebesa President: DPSA
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:20:05 +0000
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