Hi, I am Blessing Kgasa, the second child of Rre Lekgoanyana and Mme Florence Gaontebale Kgasa. I was born just around the time the Jwaneng Diamond Mine reached full commercial production, on 2 October 1981 in Kanye, Botswana. “Born free”, my country of birth was just 15 years into independence.
Both of my devout Seventh Day Adventist parents were born and bred in Kanye. My father was a miner in the neighbouring Apartheid South Africa, he lost his job in 1989. And in 1994, together with my mother, they opened up Borakanelo Store, directly adjacent to our home yard. Indeed, my late father is buried in Kanye, so are his parents, brother, grandparents, and ancestors. My mother, trained as a seamstress in Kanye, at the Ramatea Brigade, went on to work at the local hospital for about 40 years. She started as a nurse assistant, had a stint in the kitchen as supervisor and upon retiring she was the hospital senior housekeeper.
30 years ago, I started my education at Mosadithari Day Care Center. The following year I was enrolled at Mafhikana Primary School, about a kilometre from our house. I spent all my primary school life at Mafhikana. It is here where I met Blessing. Until I started at Mafhikana, my name was Nkgosi, with rare moments of Nkgosi’s fuller version, Kgosietsile, uttered by my brother or my father when they were annoyed at me. I remember the confusion I faced when my Standard One Class Teacher shouted: “Blessing Kgasa” And, although not too sure, I responded, “present”.
Perhaps this was what school is all about, I reasoned. I was comforted when I later realized that My elder sister, Molly’s school books also had a name that I didn’t know.
Now, please, allow Nkgosi to shed his part on the young Blessing.
From my recollection, Blessing was just like any other schoolboy: naughty, cheerful, and playful. Although he appeared to like arguing a lot with his classmates. Probably, it’s fair to suggest that he was an attention seeker. Quite normal for most kids his age.
It was not until 3 years at Mafhikana that the young Blessing’s character started showing, perhaps standing out. He was involved in a number of fights for his age. His grades were good, he was consistently in the top 10 of about 35 students and always averaged Grade B.
Apart from being a naughty student within his fellow students, he started showing signs that he was not necessarily scared of his teachers. It’s worth pointing out that these were children of about 7-13 years on average at Mafhikana. And at 10 years, the young Blessing did not only give a headache to his fellow students but also his teachers. This was perhaps demonstrated by Blessing, particularly between the years of 1992-1994. When as a 11 years old to 13 years old his name started being synonymous to tilo tse pedi, or 2 chairs, referring to the 2 chairs that were placed opposite each in front of the School Assembly to form a bed where the lying Blessing was a recipient of a number of strokes almost every month, more particularly 93 and 4.
This form of punishment was meant to shame the student who had been rude to his class teachers or had acted in a rude manner. Although Blessing always convinced himself that he was not necessarily rude but standing for his rights. For example, he gives one incident when he thought the class teacher was being unreasonable in the manner to which she wanted to punish him and thus he refused the unjust punishment method. He also mentions the time the teacher confiscated a tin of Lucky Star pilchards he had stolen from his father’s store when he showed it to his friends, Seretse le Kgwathe. At break time, the 13-year-old Blessing opened the school’s most feared teacher’s desk drawer and grabbed his Lucky Star, to enjoy with Seretse le Kgwathe. Accordingly, the punishment was, yes, tilo tse pedi.
It is fair to say, Blessing has always been fearless. At least that’s what he claims.
Blessing Kgosi e tsile Kgasa 