inBUSINESS Issue 15

Mlangeni, in 1991 in Soweto.
Thus can it be said that by choosing
the park named after Sophiatown of old
for this year’s Orphans and Vulnerable
Children’s Party, THC Foundation was
making a symbolic connection with
history and hope for the future of the
children it entertained on its founder’s
birthday. Here is Gabs’ own township of
feats of enterprise in the midst of what
is quite a bleak province of poverty,
shining forth as beacons of hope for
the future of its children. Among them
are human rights lawyer Dick Bayford,
Kenneth Koma of the BNF, South African
saxophonist Steve Dyer, the BNF’s
Frank Marumo and that football fanatic
of a lawyer, Tebogo Sebego.
The township of stylish ‘clevers’ like
Gregory was also the birthplace of The
Scaras (sp) band among whose players
were guitarist Wonder Suping, drummer
Sello Bogatsu, bassist Elvis Mphaere
and rhythm guitarist White Kgopo, all
of whom regularly met at a intriguinglynamed
house for practice before
wooing weekend crowds alongside that
outstanding woman on piano, Dineo, at
the Town Hall, Ngotwane
Club, Bontleng
Community
Centre, and
occasionally
the National
Stadium
or even
Tsholetsa
House.
Trumpeter, composer and singer,
Sensei Socca Sello Alexander
Moruakgomo, who lived at Extension
2, remembers often walking through
‘Los My Cherry’ (White City) and across
Independence Avenue to watch, hear
and admire the band in practice at
‘Hector Pore,’ as the house where
The Scaras were based was called,
and is thankful to Gale Letsatsi for
putting together “such an inspirational
ensemble”. After two years of guesting
in and out as lead singer for another
Bontleng band, Mother, Socca would
be confirmed in the position in 1977
following sitting his JC exams at
Mahalapye Secondary School the year
before.
Socialite Noni Pilane – who was
known as much for her beauty and
sartorial statements as she was for
her “Saturday Morning Sounds” soul
music programme on Radio Botswana
at a time when RB had considerable
following in Soweto and beyond - lived
here too. So too did guitarist Chris
Malwetse Lefatshe, bassist Madolo
‘Dollar Brand’ Paledi and Malombo
Mmereki, all three of whom at one
stage ‘disbanded’ from Moloise’s The
Originals to form Imagine where
singing soul man, Tsilo Baitsile,
first came to prominence
under Dennis Alexander’s
management.
But if the Scaras’ Dineo was
nimblefingered
on the piano, Thelma Segola’s style
was nifty and experimental right there
on stage. Both women had a touch and
go disposition that was at once risky
and refreshing as it courted discord
while prodding the rest of the band to
flow together in a rhythmic euphony
that pleased the audience. Debate that
followed their shows was invariably
marked by a see-saw observation that
often led fans to conclude that both
Dineo and Thelma had an equal amount
of the piano passion.
Led by guitarist Selby Ntuli, Thelma’s
Harari – formerly The Beaters - was
a star-studded combo that included
Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse (drums), Alec
Khaoli (bass), Monty ‘Saitana’ Ndimande
(guitar), Barney Rachabane, Lionel
Petersen, Condry Siqudu and Sello
‘Chicco’ Twala. They were a regular
feature on Gaborone’s music scene
throughout the late-1960s and the ’70s
whose leading lights had residential
addresses at the twilight township of
Bontleng.
So too was Ricky Molefe’s rather
unconventionally-named band, Every
Mother’s Son, and The Minerals of Kori
Moraba fame before Lekofi Sejeso,
Ofentse ‘Bole’ Moagi and Banjo Mosele
made a dramatic, though evanescent,
exclamation mark on the tableau
with The Incrowds in the mid-1970s.
This was at least a decade before
Banjo would tour the world with Hugh
52
www.inbusiness.co.bw | Issue 15 | 2017