A Tribute to Jerry Serero

A few weeks ago, I hosted four relatively young and highly spirited Tlokweng tribesmen serving in the Committee preparing for the 140 years of Batlokwa settlement in Moshaweng (current Tlokweng Village) from Tshwene-Tshwene in South Africa. Purpose, to share ideas and consider what could be some high impact activities leading to the celebrations of this historical event post the current State of Emergency. The name, Jerry Serero cropped up.  We will revisit the reason for the mention of his name later in this article.

Before Botsalano Primary School, there was only one other Primary school in Tlokweng being the Batlokwa National School. Mafitlhakgosi came in stream in 1978. Anybody who attended Botsalano Primary School in Tlokweng circa 1970s to early 1990s will remember the School Principal, Jerry Serero. The majority will remember him in awe just at the mention of his name. He was Thichere Serero.

Jerry Serero passed away on Thursday 15^th October 2020 apparently succumbing to his injuries after a Road Traffic accident on 4 September 2020. Jerry Serero, the teacher I know, was blessed with exceptional intellect, a memory of an elephant, an exceptional listener – a community builder of exceptional social skills.

Jerry became a teacher when corporal punishment was accepted in schools. It was at times abused by some then. He was different. He believed in counselling his pupils. Until his departure, he would remember almost all those who had passed through his school by name and the year they completed their Primary schooling. He was amazing. I admired him for this feat.

A devout Methodist, he had passion for reading, he would read anything he came across, including the weekly Printing and Publishing Company sales magazine, The Advertiser. We shared the love for the South African Farmers Magazine, “The Farmers Weekly”, which he read religiously. We would touch on the current news events every time we met, though regrettably, always briefly. He was up to date. 

He held education highly. He respected, took keen interest and admired his brilliant former students. I want to believe he expressed this love of education to his family in deeds.  His house at the Teachers quarters was always full of his nieces and nephews. To some extent, some should have been members of his extended family send to attend Botsalano Primary School.

I am not certain when this Matsiloje native first arrived in Tlokweng, but I want to believe it was in 1972. Since then, he never permanently left Tlokweng. His sojourn in England for studies and the Selibe Phikwe Region on transfer always saw him returning to the village. He adopted the village as his forte. He had adopted the Batlokwa customs. He had amassed himself in all the Tlokweng culture and was never considered an outsider. He was a tribesman.

My nephew and former Member of Parliament for Tlokweng, Olebile Gaborone at some occasion, when some Batlokwa complained about the shortage of land in the village and the fact that vast parcels of land in their territory were in the hands of Batswakwa, contributing almost  nothing to the village development. In response and I guess in defence of the status quo, Rre Gaborone  cautioned about labelling the so called outsiders as all bad – “I don’t think anybody amongst you would stand up and refer to Rre Serero as an outsider –  as he has contributed more than some tribesmen in the development of Tlokweng”. Jerry was highly regarded.SEE ALSO:

He served in the Village Development Committees – VDC (before membership of these committees became paying assignments). He served with semi – literate volunteers. Like a disciplined teacher of yester years, he abhorred alcohol, he disliked unruly behaviour of the young. He confessed to me to have never having sat his foot in a bar in his lifetime just a year ago. I am not sure he ever thought, I indulged at times.

Back to the meeting of young men hosted at my house. I ask that I be pardoned for mentioning this. There was a discussion about developing a Batlokwa Wall of Fame bearing the names of historical and current village stalwarts who contributed significantly to the development of Tlokweng in the last 140 years. The name, Jerry Serero, a non-tribesman was amongst the first 10 mentioned of the living legends. I am not sure who among the 5 besides myself ever attended Botsalano Primary School to know Jerry and find him a deserving candidate for the honour. He had endeared himself in the hearts of the young and old.

Jeremiah Tlharipe Serero, 4th born child of Ishmael Mokonenyana Serero and Motlagomang Annie Serero (nee Moleme) on 10 February 1947.

His nephew Tiro, also a teacher , says about his only uncle, “,ke Mokwena oa ga Molopyane( Ke motho oa ga Mokonenyana, tshoana oa di tsoa yale ka batsoala makgabe, ke motho oa ga Tlharipe oa ngoato ka kgagoga, ka kgagoga ka tsoa mokga…)… setlogolo sa Kubung.

Jerry Serero started his primary education in Matsiloje and proceeded to Moeng College. He trained as a teacher at Lobatse Teacher Training College. Upon completion of his training, he taught briefly  at Matsiloje Primary School before moving to Botsalano where he rose to the post of School Head. He wanted to decline the post on account of being young but was urged by the senior women who dominated the staff roll”, added Tiro. I can attest to the issue of senior women – a discussion for another day.

After Botsalano, he had a short stint at Batlokwa National Primary School before being deployed to the Department of Primary Education to train school managers based at Tlokweng Education Centre, this is where I used to stop him and chat as an adult many years after Botsalano. My place was just a stone throw from the Centre. His last civil service days were at the Selibe-Phikwe Regional Education Office where he retired in 2007.

He attended Management Training in the United Kingdom, Diploma in Education at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and  a Bachelor’s Degree at the  Institute of Education – London. He spent his retirement with BONASO assisting primary school children struggling with school work. He will be laid to rest in Gaborone, Phomolong Cemetery on Saturday 24^th October 2020. Rest in Peace Thichere Serero.