Keotshepile Mogotsi has paid a fond tribute to his long-time friend and colleague Mokutu Moeketsi, 61, who sadly passed away on May 30.

Mokutu whom Keotshepile had known since 2001, passed away peacefully in his sleep.

In his tribute he wrote, “Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) has endured a great loss with the passing of Mokutu, a disability rights activist and Mogale City’s Assistant Manager in the Disability Office.

Not only was he a librarian but also the author of the book My Right to Write and be Read. Mokutu had a brain that never slept and wore many different hats that saw him taking on different roles in his life. His life was about defying the odds and rising to meet incredible challenges. He loved to say his disability did not mean inability,” said Keotshepile.

According to Keotshepile, “Mokutu suffered from cerebral palsy, a condition of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. This caused poor coordination, and stiff and weak muscles. In the face of this physical challenge, he never flinched when he advised people not to feel sorry for him. A reminder that our disabilities are not a hindrance – they’re part of who we are.”

Keotshepile praised him for playing a key role in establishing the MCLM’s Disability Office.

“His quest to fight for disability rights was not limited to his own condition. He was strong and his messages were clear. On every given platform where there was friction and sparks, he never held grudges and he accompanied his sharp comments with humorous remarks.

“Many tributes at his memorial service focused not on his CV but on his personal warmth, his sense of humour and generosity, and the decades he spent fighting for the rights of disabled people. He was hailed as one of the supreme disability-rights campaigners with an indomitable fighting spirit. ‘Today disabled people are better placed because of him’, said one of the speakers at his memorial service.

With his ‘big brother’ Moses Komane, they founded the Disability Desk at the West Rand District Municipality and became the voice of people with disabilities on the West Rand. ‘Kutus’ or ‘General’ as he was fondly known by many, had a guiding principle to respect the voice and lived experience of persons with disabilities. He knew how to listen to others,” said Keotshepile.

He said Mokutu’s other achievements included being one of the first disabled persons on the West Rand to earn a junior degree in library science. He went on to do post-graduate studies in his chosen field at Pittsburgh University in the United States.

“He will be remembered as a giant who lived life well in the service of others, and as someone who had made great contributions to disability rights,” concluded Keotshepile.