Last on Radio Botswana
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Pako Lebanna
Location : Gaborone
Event : Interview
The year 1990 is remembered for a number of special and great events that took place then and arguably shaped the world as we know it today.served his one year national service at the Botswana the world as we know it today.
The Republic of Namibia celebrates its first independence, a crowning moment after many years of a liberation struggle led by the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO).
The iconic South African anti apartheid activist Nelson Mandela is set free after 27 years in jail, and liberation in and liberation
movements such as Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) are unbanned as the National Party government of Frederick De Klerk initiates a reform process that would dismantle apartheid.
In Europe, the Berlin Wall crumbles as long lost East and West German cousins hug and reunite over its debris.
This is a powerful symbol of the end of the Cold War, as one Stalinist dictatorship after the other in Eastern Europe gives way to multipartyism.
At home, the government of Quett KetumileMasire, reelected president in October 1989, fending off a challenge from the increasingly popular Kenneth Koma of the Botswana National Front (BNF), makes sense of the global and regional situation, after years as a fragile frontline state.
Oblivious of all of these great changes, children in different villages across Botswana play in the streets while in the background the late Phillip Moshotle of Radio Botswana is heard on tape deck radios.
He is dishing out popular tunes by local artists such as Afro Sunshine, Kgwanyape and the late South African disco sensation, Brenda Fassie.
Come to think of it, it was into this world in 1990 - a whole generation ago - when one of these apparently in different children had grown old enough to become a feature on the national radio station, first as a Tirelo Setshaba participant.
The now well-known Last ‘Bashi’ Rakgasa, also served his one year national service at the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA) as a reporter, writing stories for the Dailynews. He also did the Tatediso ya Dikgang aka newsreel programme on radio.
“When I grew up in Moshupa I used to listen to Radio Botswana (RB), and my year in Tirelo Setshaba at the Mochudi Information and Broadcasting offices in 1990, gave me a chance to be part of the national radio and the Dailynews,” the elegantly dressed Rakgasa recalls.
With his gentle voice that has obviously endeared him to Batswana over a 20-year period, Rakgasa recalls that he became a full time employee of Radio Botswana in 1992, joining the likes of Moshotle, Pako Teita, Monica Mphusu, Mmoloki Mothibi, Lesego Kgajwane, and others.
He belonged to the younger generation of the time, Rakgasa, Mothibi, and later Lesego Mohutsiwa who would bring in a more modern verve to the presentation style of RB.
“We had a different delivery style to the previous presenters,” he says in reference to the likes of Moshotle, Billy Mokgosi, Geoffrey Motshidisi, Mogatusi Kwapa and others who would recite Setswana poems praising themselves on beginning a shift.
“But though we came in more modern, RB had, and still has a ‘house style’ that had and continues to be maintained. We can never be Duma (FM), or any other radio for that matter, and they can never be us,” he says.
Rakgasa says in the two decades since he became a feature of national radio, he has witnessed many changes, though the ‘house style’ has stayed the same.
“We now have very informed and trained radio journalists; for instance, most of my colleagues either have a university degree or are being trained towards one. There is more research being done by presenters, they use modern information technology like the internet, and impart more knowledge to the listeners,” he says.
The well-trimmed radio personality says the emergence of other stations in the country is a welcome development.
In the past RB was the only radio station in the country.
However, in the past two decades we have seen the emergence of RB’s sister station RB2, and private radio stations such as the pro youth urban market Yarona FM, Gabz FM and Duma FM.
Some of them like Duma FM’s more adult-oriented delivery has surely taken away some traditional RB listeners.
“The new stations have given the audience a choice; I don’t have a problem with them except when sensationalism
surrounds news items. But competition simply helps us to improve,” reckons Rakgasa.
RB has often been criticised as a boring, stale station that has failed to rejuvenate and remain relevant to the times, given that newer stations like Duma and Gabz FM, and even South Africa’s Motsweding FM are now seen by many urbanites as being on the cutting edge of news delivery and debate on contemporary issues and politics.
“RB is very relevant to the lives of Batswana, and people trust us with information, particularly those who live in the rural areas.
Even in the urban areas, we are still the main radio station for Batswana,” argues Rakgasa.
He tells a funny tale of how, as a young man doing national service in 1990, he had a friend called Dust to whom he was particularly close in Mochudi. Apparently Dust engaged in many misdemeanours, while Last was a respected ‘information officer.’
“As our names Last’ and ‘Dust,’ somewhat sounded the same, people ended up confusing us,” he says, adding that at one point the
police came to the Information and Broadcasting office looking for me, while it was Dust who was suspected of offending some people.
To distinguish myself from him, I started calling him ‘Lerole’ and myself ‘Bofelo,’” recalls Rakgasa, while releasing a hearty laugh.
The name would stick. Though he had been born Bashi Last Rakgasa, (still his official name), he would become known as Bofelo
Last Rakgasa throughout his 20 years, thus far on radio, though some people refer to him as ‘Lastra.’
“There are people who think my name is Last Rakgasa,” he laughs, a man content with his two decades on radio.
Teaser:
RB is very relevant to the lives of Batswana, and people trust us with information, Particularly those who live in the rural areas. Even in the urban areas, we are still the main radio station for Batswana.
