our roots

Cover Story
By Charles Kilonzo, Anthony Njagi and Don Awene
Tracing our roots:
connecting with Dr. Motsoko
Pheko, Daystar Co-founder
Educational Background
Dr. Pheko was educated at the University of
South Africa with a B.A. degree majoring in
Political Science and Systematic Theology
and reading sociology and history, LL.B
from the University of Zambia and a oneyear
course diploma course to practise law
and LL. M. degree in international law at
the University of London. He studied with
Kensington University for a Doctorate.
His Doctoral Thesis was “South Africa: A
Fundamental Question of Colonialism and
Self – Determination Clouded By Racism
Mutilated History And Manipulation Of
International Law.”
Pheko did all these studies by
correspondence or part time. There was no
time to be full time university student. Even
his Matriculation he acquired by distance
learning.
“It was an exciting moment
for me to finally catch up with
the co- founder of Daystar
University.”
These were the words of Daystar
University Chancellor, Dr. Florence
Muli-Musiime after a lengthy telephone
interview with Dr. Motsoko Pheko. Dr.
Pheko co-founded Daystar Publications,
the precursor of Daystar University
together with Dr. Donald Smith and Mrs.
Faye Smith in 1964.
Mrs. Ellen Ntsioua Pheko, his wife,
formed the university with him and has
been instrumental in advancing the
gospel and has stood by him through
prison and exile.
According to Dr. Muli-Musiime, it
has been her greatest desire and that
of the University’s Vice-chancellor, Dr.
Timothy Wachira to get to know Dr
Pheko. June 11, 2015 presented such an
opportunity when she finally connected
with Dr. Pheko. “We know the Smiths
well, because they are living with us, but we
needed to know Dr. Pheko as well,” said Dr
Muli-Musiime. “How can our past inform
our future?” she asked as she explained
how Dr. Pheko, although often talked
about has remained a missing link in the
Daystar story. “It is necessary to make Dr.
Pheko known as his perspective on Daystar
as it evolved and how this informs the present
is of interest to the Daystar faith journey. It
would also be a health check to the progress
we have made in integrating faith and
learning as we take a look at the individual
faith journeys of its founders. ” she said.
Dr. Motsoko Pheko, now over 80
years old and retired, hails from the
Eastern Cape in South Africa. Pheko
lost his parents at the age of nine. He
and his only brother Ramauoane were
brought up by their mother’s eldest
sister and her husband. Pheko grew up
a shepherd and herds boy in the rural
areas of today’s Eastern Cape in South
Africa at a place called Mangoloaneng.
He went to a Catholic school and later to
Mariazelle College in the Eastern Cape
of South Africa where he learnt subjects
such as Shorthand, Typing, Commercial
Arithmetic, Book-keeping and Commerce.
It is here he came to know Jesus Christ as
his personal Saviour.
The friend who led him to Christ
soon discovered that he was a good
writer. He therefore introduced him to
a group of Writers who wanted to start
a paper, and it is during this period that
he met Dr. Donald Smith. Together they
formed a monthly magazine known as
Our Africa, with Dr Pheko as the Editor.
The magazine circulated across Southern
Africa and as far as Eastern Africa.
He recounts how they ran the paper
for close to 5 years, before problems
with the apartheid regime arose, forcing
them to scatter, and this was how he
10 • DaystarConnect 2015