Farewell Mother Of The Nation
Monitor Editor | Monday June 25, 2018 16:12
The shocking and sad news of her passing broke on Monday, and many went through the week in disbelief hoping that it was untrue. However, Saturday confirmed the great loss of Botlhoko Beata Kasale-Kabango, affectionately called by many as AusiB, and the end to an illustrious career.
Mourners, attended the funeral to give support to her family, and many spoke highly of the woman who has worn different hats throughout her professional life.
AusiB touched many lives in many different ways be it in gender issues, human rights activism, women’s empowerment, development of and fighting for a free press. Shockingly, as competitor to other publishers, she often times managed to put her interests aside to bring media houses together to discuss pertinent issues that affect the industry.
She was very instrumental in the development of the Botswana Media Gender Policy, where she worked with representatives from different media houses to formulate the policy.
Kasale, as speakers at her funeral passionately described her, would selflessly engage representatives from different media houses to get their views.
She very much believed in consultation, and she was always eager to hear other people’s views. She not only believed that one never stops learning, but also actually practised that. AusiB enjoyed engaging different people on a variety of issues.
She was always eager to assist, and was gifted with being a problem-solver. She always had time for others, and she has helped many journalists to better their skills by either advising them, or encouraging them to enter training programmes such as the World of Newspapers and News Publishers’ (WAN-IFRA) Women In News (WIN) programme.
She tirelessly worked with many journalists from different publications, all in an effort to encourage them to progress to greater levels.
When coordinating the training, AusiB would treat all participants equally, with no ounce of favouritism towards those who were in her publication’s employ.
She was firm and gentle at the same time, and was not shy to reprimand those who veered off course.
Most beautifully, Kasale wanted to see people succeed in their ventures, and always put other people’s needs before her own.
She was really the mother of the nation and will be dearly missed.
May Beata Kasale’s soul rest in eternal peace.