07 Mar 2024

Kwaito sensation, Thabo ‘Mapetla’ Ntirang will be laid to rest at Madisakwana Ward in Tonota on Sunday.

Mapetla died in a car accident in the early hours of Monday.

In an interview, his uncle Botho Ntirang, said Mapetla will be sent off in an artistic style with some of his signature phrases.

He added that before the funeral service on Sunday, a short memorial service will be held at Madisakwana Ward on Saturday upon return from the mortuary.

Remembering Mapetla, some of the industry players described him as a humble and loving individual who strived for the growth of the industry in Botswana.

“Mapetla was a jolly talented man. His legacy must be remembered as an artiste who represented not just Botswana but this region as a whole. In Mapetla the industry has lost an inspiration for young artistes,” said South Africa’s Tshedi Mholo of Malaika.

YDJ Academy director, Leatile ‘Ydj’ Rapoo said Mapetla loved people and was cheerful.  “Mapetla never provoked anyone. It was always great vibes with him and everyone laughed around him,” Ydj said.

About his music career, Ydj said Mapetla was planning to start a career as a disc jockey at the time of his demise.

“We were planning on doing something together this year. His passing comes at a time when he was to start the production level of his music career and as a deejay. We were to meet on March 5 for his registration,” said Ydj.

He added that Mapetla’s enrolment at his academy would have been of mutual benefit as he was also looking forward to learning a few things from him.

Botswana Music Union (BOMU) vice president, Papie Rakhudu said Mapetla was instrumental in the Kwaito genre, especially among the youngsters who looked up to him. He said Mapetla also loved football, as was evident at his Siwelele Social Club where he was embraced by team members.

“The boys’ characters at Siwelele show that they were moulded by Mapetla, seeing how they conduct themselves,” Rakhudu said. He added that Mapetla was also celebrated even at his home village of Tonota because of his humble demeanor.

Mapetla’s friend, Bokang ‘BK’ Proctor, said he will forever cherish their relationship and all the memories they had together, having grown close and almost inseparable at the time because they both loved making music.

“Skhokhii and I met some years back when I used to produce music a lot. The first time I met him I was star struck because I grew up listening to his music and I had seen him before performing on stage and he had this charismatic thing he did with the crowds because most of his jams were inspired and influenced by gospel and Batswana love gospel music especially at events, festivals and clubs,” BK Proctor said.

BK Proctor featured Mapetla on many of his remixes.

“As we worked, he also gravitated towards my production and wanted me to produce a song for him, so during that time, we started hanging a lot inside and outside the studio. He would pick me up everyday to go buy nama ya nku le stampa ko Senn Foods in Tlokweng, then from there we would hit my home studio,” he added as he shared some of their memories together.

However, he regretted that at the time of his passing, they had not been seeing each other, saying “because with growth and dynamics of life sometimes we grow apart but we still kept in contact sometimes when we could.”

His business associate, Bofelo Kgaodi, described his relationship with Mapetla as more brotherly than professional. Kgaodi said their friendship, which was not based on limelight and fame, extended to family. Ends