In memory of Mphephe and Grace Senne

I want to express my condolences, and tell my cousins in Saron how sorry I am about the passing of their parents. My Uncle Mphephe Senne passed away last week, following a car accident, and was buried yesterday.

This evening, my Aunt Grace followed him. She died from shock, I'm told. I’ve known them since I was a small baby, and to my parents, they were close friends, as well as being family.


They were among the first who were informed of major events happening in my family, and could be counted on to provide support when needed.

We counted on them to negotiate for all wedding settlements [lobola], and to play a strong role in arranging any sort of major family celebration. And when someone was sick, or passed away, it was only natural that they are among the first to be told and for them to play an important role in the funeral arrangements.

And now, in one week, their children have gone from having two ageing parents who they hoped would last a couple more years, to having no parents at all. I think the suddenness of ttheir deaths is what's making it so hard for me to take it all in.

It took my own father 18 months to die from colon cancer, and while the process was very traumatic, we were also comforted by the knowledge that we’d had time to say our goodbyes. This is not the case here, and for that too, I am very sorry.

To Ntatemogolo Mphephe and Nkoko Grace, robalang ka kagiso bagolo.