My Inspirational Ancestors

“Don’t you know my ancestors live, dance and breath vicariously through me” – Tapiwa Mugabe

In 1987, at crèche, Mma Ndidi, the wife of my father’s cousin, taught my brother and me. The following year, in standard 1, my class teacher was Mma Kgasa. Mma Kgasa’s husband’s father and my father’s grandfather were brothers. One of my classmates was Tebogo. Tebogo’s grandfather and my paternal grandfather were cousins.

At the capital, in Gaborone, My cousin Serekwa, the daughter of my mother’s sister and my cousin Mookamedi, the son of my father’s sister, were classmates.

I was a classmate with my cousin Nkemi in 1994, my uncle’s daughter, and my mother’s brother. Between 1995-1996 I was a classmate with my cousins Tlotlo and Tumelo. Their parents (mother and father, respectively) were siblings and they were cousins to my father. We were at some point taught by Mr Wilson Mogojwa, fresh from college; Wilson’s mother is a cousin to the trio’s parents.

In 1999, I shared a History class with Onalenna, Tebogo’s cousin. Onalenna’s father was my father’s father’s cousin. Onalenna’s house is directly opposite my house. I grew up with Onalenna.

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