At a time when the people of the John Taolo Gaetsewe region, the province and the country as a whole are perplexed with the new Covid-19 strain, a giant in the cultural music industry succumbed to an undisclosed ailment on the eve of New Year. When the news broke out of the passing of Mr Motlwaahatse “Laaities” Keupilwe (50), the provincial executives were shaken, taken aback and took a step.
As a result, the Northern Cape Premier, Doctor Zamani Saul with rapidity, liaised with the presidency of the loss who instantaneously conferred him with a special provincial official funeral category two reserved for distinguished persons designated by the President of South Africa as deemed fit by the Premier. This meant that the National Flag had to lie at half-mast throughout the province in respect of the fallen music virtuoso on the day he was laid to rest, on January 9, 2021.
Doctor Zamani said that the Covid-19 peak obliterated the big and symbolical send-off of the distinguished traditional artist in the province. He however promised the sizeable mourners determined by the pandemic protocols that should the permission be granted, government will erect a tombstone in honour of the fallen Mr Keupilwe.
Marking the great loss inflicted in the region and the province, the Premier and his entourage attended the funeral with several departmental heads, mayors, regional leadership of the ANC, officials from the private sector, other giants from the music fraternity and traditional leaders graced the somber occasion.
Laaities, as he was affectionately known was a crowd puller at functions and would leave his audience in stitches because he was both nimble-footed and poetically gifted in his mother language, seTswana. His cultural music was an infusion of the yesteryear and current happenings, giving his listeners a choice in his melodies.
He was the founder and leader of Ngwao Ya Chona Setswana Traditional Group. His influence in the cultural music industry has left an indelible mark in the entire country. This is corroborated by the fact that he won numerous music awards from the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) where he came best with the seTswana Album.
Recently he scooped the best seTswana Traditional Music Legend award. In addition, he was just a down to earth, gifted, flamboyant poet and praise singer whose lyrics did not require any form of refinery before unleashing.
However, there has been an outcry by the general public that prominent people in the community ought to be honoured while they still exist and where they deserve assistance be rendered by authorities. This comes after revelations that illustrious people including Laaities deserved backup from the arms of the state to cushion their desire to preserve cultural traditions.
The community is riled by the fact that only at funerals, politicians want to flash out their cosmetic love to the fallen public figureheads. They claim that this behavior at their disposal, simply portrays politics of plucked feathers and clipped wings and ought to be shelved under antiquities.
