B.M. Khaketla

B.M. Khaketla (1913-2000) is a Sesotho poet, journalist, teacher and playwright.

Also known as Bennett Makalo Khaketla and B. Makalo Khaketla.

Biography

Born Bennett Makalo Khaketla at Quacha's Nek in Lesotho, he was educated at Matatiele in the Union of South Africa, and qualified as a teacher at Mariaziel Training College in 1932. He later completed a BA at the University of South Africa.

He began his career as a teacher at St Patrick's Anglican School in Bloemfontein in July 1933, remaining there till June 1939, going to teach at various schools in South Africa and Lesotho, eventually becoming the principal of Charterston High School in Nigel, Transvaal (1951-2). Thereafter he returned to Lesotho to teach at the Basutoland High School.

As a public figure, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Basutoland National Congress and a member of the Executive Council of Lesotho. And in the 1950s he founded and edited a newspaper, Mohlabani ("The Warrior").

His career as writer

He was quite a prolific writer, publishing two novels, three plays and a poetry collection.

According to Lipholo Pheko (2020), when Khaketla died in 2000, he left behind a carton of unpublished manuscripts and notes that, when assembled and edited, could provide an autobiographal view of his life.

He published three Southern Sotho plays: Moshoeshoe le baruti ("Moshoeshoe and the missionaries", 1947), Tholoana tsa sethepu ("Results of polygamy", 1954) and its sequel, Bulane (1958).

Sources

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

B. Makalo Khaketla. Lesotho, 1970: An African Coup Under the Microscope

Chris Dunton. 2020. "The works of Bennett Makalo Khaketla" in The Post[1] (Accessed: 4 October, 2020)

Stellenbosch University Library catalogue. .

Return to ESAT Personalities K

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page