LISTEN | Family believes Mahikeng activist Thato Molosankwe was a marked man

The family of North West activist Thato Molosankwe say they are deeply distraught at the death of their brother and son, whom they described as a champion of unity and a strong voice for the Mahikeng community.

Molosankwe was gunned down at his home in Lomanyaneng on Wednesday morning and police have deployed the provincial murder and robbery unit to investigate.

According to his brother, Leviticus Molosankwe, members of the Mahikeng community filled the streets when the news of the murder broke, forcing police to intervene and clear the roads. This, he said, showed how much Molosankwe meant to the community.

“We are deeply saddened. I myself am still in disbelief. I don’t know whether to believe it or not, but the reality is that we saw his body being taken to the morgue. What is even worse is the manner in which he died. It would have been better to deal with a natural death,” said Leviticus.

He said the family believes the killing was carefully orchestrated.

“They parked their car away from his house, where he also runs a fast-food business. They waited for him to get into his room after coming from the outside restroom and then fired shots. This proves they had been following and monitoring his movements.”

He added that he had spoken to Molosankwe just a day before the murder after nearly three weeks without contact, as he had travelled to Johannesburg to further his electrical engineering studies.

“I had asked him to check whether there were any electrical plugs at our family business, and I didn’t know it was going to be the last time I spoke to him. His last words were, ‘Eya Vevi’, and that was it,” he said.

Leviticus said there were no obvious signs that his brother feared for his life, though he would occasionally post cryptic messages on social media suggesting he was a “dead man”.

“There was nothing specific he spoke about, but he would post saying he was already dead, and I assumed it was because of being an activist. Thato [Molosankwe] could have predicted his death; the issue was just the timing. He knew he was treading on thin ice,” he said.

Molosankwe first drew national attention in 2017 when he undertook a 1,317km walk from Cape Town to Mahikeng to raise awareness about women and child abuse.

His bravery and his love for his family stand out the most. Whenever he got money, he would invest it back into the family home through renovations and improvements

—  Leviticus Molosankwe, brother of Thato Molosankwe

The campaign, dubbed the #FatherSonMentorshipWalk, also aimed to encourage fathers to teach boys good morals and confront social issues including crime, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, HIV/Aids, and violence against LGBT people.

“He started walking in 2015 from Mahikeng to Johannesburg in protest against gender-based violence. As time went by, he gained momentum and grew into an activist advocating against all social ills,” said Leviticus.

He described his brother as a philanthropist who was passionate about uplifting his community economically.

“He recently opened a gym for the community, charging only a small fee for maintenance, R50 a day or R250 a month. The gym operated from 4am to 9pm,” he said.

Leviticus said the family would remember Molosankwe for his bravery and devotion to those closest to him.

“His bravery and his love for his family stand out the most. Whenever he got money, he would invest it back into the family home through renovations and improvements,” he said.

Sowetan