The late former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, will be laid to rest on Saturday, May 16, at the Phomolong Cemetery in Gaborone.
The funeral is restricted to family and dignitaries, while public viewing and funeral proceedings will be broadcast from the University of Botswana (UB) indoor sports centre.
Mogae died last week Friday, at the age of 86, after a brief illness, at a hospital in Gaborone.
During his presidency, Mogae was credited with his management of Botswana’s economy, as well as his open response to HIV/AIDS, when his country faced one of the world’s highest infections.
Johan Viljoen
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) announced the passing of Johan Viljoen, on Wednesday night, last week.
Viljoen worked extensively with refugees in Mozambique, Angola, and South Africa through the SACBC Refugee Bureau and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).
His work focused on health care, education, legal assistance, advocacy, and emergency relief for people fleeing war and persecution.
He became widely known for his leadership in the SACBC AIDS Office, where he served as Deputy Director and Senior Programme Manager from 2000.
At a time when access to antiretroviral treatment remained limited in the public sector, the SACBC AIDS programme expanded under his leadership to 22 Catholic healthcare facilities, assisting more than 45,000 people to receive life-saving treatment.
He was born on the 11 March 1961 in Nairobi, Kenya, and raised in Pretoria, South Africa.
He studied law at the University of Pretoria before serving as an officer in the South African Air Force.
He later pursued theological studies and ministered as an Anglican priest in communities such as Soshanguve and Winterveldt in the Diocese of Pretoria.
Cover picture of Mogae arriving in Serowe. Picture with Johan Viljoen (far right).