Government pledges therapy for Letsile Tebogo
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday May 28, 2024 06:00
Speaking at the funeral, Minister of Youth, Sport, Culture and Gender, Tumiso Rakgare, said the athlete needs psychotherapy as he prepares for his maiden appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “You have done a lot for this country, and we still expect more from you, Letsile.
They attacked me after your performance at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, I told them that I was not going to give you a lot. I am not putting you under pressure. I want you to go to Paris and enjoy yourself, but you know what you will get when you bring a medal,” he said. Last year, Rakgare announced that it was now standard that each athlete who brings a medal from the Olympics is rewarded with a house. The first team to receive the housing units was the members of the 4x400m relay team that won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Rakgare said the country should look after Letsile, especially since there has never been anybody like him. He said Botswana has a small population, and when there is a special child like Letsile, he should be taken care of. “I recently saw how much people attacked Isaac Makwala on social media, it is a bad thing. I'm saying this because I know that we are currently friends with Letsile, tomorrow we are going to turn around and attack him,” Rakgare told the mourners. “We know each other in this country, if he does something that you do not like, he will become the enemy, forgetting that you were there to comfort him when he lost his mother. “We should give him the support he needs as an athlete and after he retires. We will need him in other things after his career. We should not forget that these athletes once made the country proud.” Rakgare said Seratiwa was a kind woman who gave the nation a talented child in Letsile adding that she did not shy away from speaking her mind. For his part, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) president, Moses Bantsi told the mourners that not many people are like Seratiwa.
He said sport is a profession just like any other job and there is a need for parental support. “Other nations' parents support their children, Seratiwa was not different, she supported Letsile, and everybody knew that. That support makes the child strong, I urge other parents to emulate Seratiwa and support their children in sport,” Bantsi said. “If it was not due to his mother’s support, Letsile could not have reached this level. Seratiwa was an amazing mother. I hope even his sister, Ano will follow suit. Letsile does not only represent Botswana, but the entire African continent.”
He said they received messages of condolences from across the world to Batswana, Letsile, her sister and the Tebogo family. “Letsile, your mother has done her job, it is now your turn to do yours. We expect to step up and deliver to make her happy,” Bantsi added. In his message to his departed parent, Letsile said her mother raised him to be a responsible man. The sprinter said he will miss his mother's support especially her surprise visits during competitions. “I know you're going to come [with me] to Paris, whether we like it or not. Most importantly I'm going to miss your prayers. You prayed for me a lot,” Letsile said. Elizabeth Seratiwa ‘Sthando-Same’ Tebogo was born on December 23, 1980, in a family of five sisters and two brothers. She was the youngest of her siblings. At the time of her death, she had been employed since 2017 by the Bank of Botswana (BoB).
Her education journey was marked by dedication and relentless pursuit of knowledge. It began at Maisantwa Primary School, laying the foundation for her academic achievements. She continued her studies at Moeding College from 1995 to 1997. Her tertiary education began at Tlokweng Brigade, where she acquired a certificate in Secretarial Studies in 2002. Seratiwa’s quest for knowledge led her to the Botswana Institute of Administration and Commerce (BIAC), where she earned a Diploma in Secretarial Studies from 2005 to 2006. She pursued a Diploma in Human Resources Management from Botswana Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL), completing it in 2016. Her commitment to professional excellence was further demonstrated by numerous certificates, including Quality Management System (QMS) ISO 9001 in documentation and implementation. Before joining the BoB, Seratiwa was a secretary to the director at the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) from 2012 to 2017.
Her previous roles also included serving as a regional secretary at BOCODOL from 2010 to 2012. She was also a personal secretary at the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Culture and Gender (MYSC) from 2006 to 2007.