Bye bye Mma Ollie

Oarabile Mosikare | Friday February 7, 2014 15:04

Her favourite example was that she religiously watched foreign news on television by different broadcasting stations and that their reporting will always be different. The facts are the same but the approach is different. Mma Ollie’s counsel in such a quandary was that each reporter should present his perspective to his audience. I remembered her wisdom when I was hesitant to write this tribute.

Mma Ollie or Mosadimogolo as the young reporters fondly called her in whispers was a mentor to generations of journalists in this country. The celebrated Outsa Mokones, Spencer Mogapis, Aubrey Lutes, Abraham Motsokonos and Galebolae Ngakanes, of this world went through her hands. Before her demise last week Thursday she had been in the game for more than three decades.

She was a first amongst firsts hence today she is counted as one of the first female media pioneers in Botswana. I joined The Botswana Gazette on September 1, 2009 from Mmegi newspaper based in Francistown. Before I joined her stable I had heard so many things about this legend. Many senior journalists talked about her temperament especially during deadline. Others said she was a slave driver.

It was one Sunday afternoon as I was returning from Methodist Church in Area W, Francistown that I realised I had a missed call. Busy reading the only Sunday newspaper in the land, I told my self that the caller would call again. A few minutes later I received a call from Aubrey Lute recruiting me to work at their Francistown bureau. Having been a freelancer for many years I accepted the offer.

A few days later I boarded a bus to Gaborone to meet Olsen who was the Managing Editor/Director of the company. She also doubled as chief sub-editor. We talked about Francistown in general and as a Francistowner I excelled during the interview.

At that point Mma Ollie told me that she was impressed. That is how my three-year stay at The Botswana Gazette began.

Two years later in September after the company had experienced an ‘exodus’ few months earlier I received an SMS early in the morning from Mma Ollie herself asking me if I was interested in becoming the news editor. I immediately responded in the affirmative and a few days later I boarded Air Botswana to Gaborone. It was interview time again!

I must confess that this time it was not that easy. The panel consisted of the then Managing Editor Pamela Dube Kelepang, General Manager Shike Olsen and the short Mma Ollie. We went through my road map that was attacked from all angles but I stood my ground. A few hours after the interview I felt drained. But anyway I got the job and the rest is history. With the help of Mma Ollie I relocated to Gaborone in early November 2011 as the news editor. The following year in January I was appointed the acting editor and confirmed as the substantive editor in April. During my stay I understood the two sides of Mma Ollie; the motherly and temperamental side. 

Out of the blue during deadline on Mondays she would reject all the stories in the news folder and demand that we find new ones. Later she would start re-subbing. She was also not afraid to throw young reporters into the deep end and would give credit where and when it was due. I cannot forget when she sent an email to the entire staff that we had less than 815 return copies of the paper.

She implored us to beat our chests for having made it. The headline was ‘Merafhe is a liar - says Sekai’ and the young reporter Phaladi Letswamotse was over the moon for writing this best seller.

Other controversial headlines we published included: ‘Is Khama a Motswana?’ and ‘Tsholetsa BDF’. These headlines demonstrate that although Mma Ollie was short in height but walked tall amongst the giants, she feared nobody and talked truth to power. Unfortunately, our relationship changed in the second half of the year and I tendered my resignation in September.

In my brief resignation letter I expressed my gratitude for having been given that rare opportunity to work under her as the editor. She had none of it and demanded that I tell her why I had decided to quit. I told her everything and did not spare anyone, her included.

“Mr Mosikare you know you will make it in this profession. I like your stubbornness. Go out there and implement everything I have taught you,” she said. She also added that The Gazette was a learning institution and I should also not be afraid to start my own project like Mogapi or Lute. I was humbled by these words of wisdom from this woman I earlier that morning hated with passion.

We parted ways but continued to communicate through SMSes. Oh, two days before Christmas she sent me a 'Happy Christmas' message and the message is still in my phone as a 'souvenir' from my 'mother'. Mma Ollie might be gone from this earth but her memories and teachings will forever live with all those who went through her able hands. “Avoid using epithets,” she would tell me when subbing my editorial opinion. “Let readers make their conclusions,” she would add. I know the business side of running a newspaper thanks to Mma Ollie.

May Her Soul Rest In Peace. Robala ka Kagiso mme.