My Biography: Mashilo Reuben Kobe
I was born on the 6th day of July 1945 at a mission called Kraanspoort in the Louis Trichardt district and my parents named me Mashilo Reuben Kobe. My late parents, Ngwako Reuben Jack and Mokgadi Evelyn Kobe were blessed with six children namely Kobe, who passed on, Manyekana Johannes, Sello Elisabeth, Mokgadi, who passed on, Mashilo Reuben and Matome Jacob.
I attended Stefanus Hoff Myer Primary School from Substandard A to Standard 1 from 1955 to 1956, and Ratau Primary School from Standard 2 to Standard 6 from 1957 to 1961. My secondary education was at Emarentia Geldenhys School from Form 1 to Form 3 from 1962 to 1964, and Hwiti High School for Form 4 in 1965. I completed my matric through correspondence.
My tertiary education was completed at Bethesda Normal College, where I did my Higher Primary Teachers Certificate from 1967 to 1968. I graduated with UNISA through correspondence and later acquired a Management Diploma at RAU.
Work experience
I worked at H.C. Boshoff Sending Hospital as a clerk from November 1968 to January 1970, where I was mentored by the late Dr H.C. Boshoff and equipped with skills such as typing, answering phones at the switchboard, filing and working with TB patients. It was there where I met my Rose, whom I later wedded and who became the mother of my children.
In February 1970 I started teaching at Motheong Primary School. I worked there for twelve years. During those years I was elected Secretary of the Town Council of Moganyaka Township, Leeuwfontein.
In 1983 I went to work at V.P. Manthata Senior Secondary School as a senior teacher and Head of Department. In 1992 I was promoted to principal at G.H. France Secondary School. I worked there for one year, as my services were required back at V.P. Manthata as principal.
During my teaching career I was an English examiner for English Paper Two, literature. I started as a sub-examiner, later became a senior sub-examiner and then Chief Examiner, for a total of thirty years. I retired from public service at the end of 2000 at the age of 55.
After retirement I rested for only one year. In 2002 Meridian College knocked at my door requiring my services as an English master. I served them for four years, teaching English Home Language and English First Additional Language and producing 99% and 100% pass rates respectively.
In 2008 I worked as an English facilitator for ELET, supervising and helping teachers to teach English effectively. I also worked for the Transnet Foundation as an English facilitator, and taught English to Grades 11 and 12 at the former Sekhukhune College of Education.
In 2009 I became principal of Happy Day Private School for two years. I helped the school with its Umalusi registration when it was facing deregistration because of poor management. I also improved its Grade 12 results from a pass rate of 27% to 79% in 2010.
Please do not forget to tell people who I am
“Yo a robetsego mo Ke Mashilo kgomo ga dishe o disha basadi [o belegwe ka morago ga basadi ba ba bedi hence Mashilo]. Ge a i theta o re KeNnna Tshehlana ’a ma tshehlela banna, bashimane ba tshehlela boshoboro; Kgang ka le dikgopa ke ya apisha, tokamemo tsa nhlabela mokgoshi, Ke ngwana yo tswang gare ga kgwedi le selemela, Ke Mmirwa wa mahlo a matala yo a reng ge a bina a rweje seta sa phatla ya nare, a u kamela bodiba a re ditlaela di wele ka metseng. Ke Lekopokopo ke a koposela ke metse a fula ke a lemelela ke mohlaka motala ke a noshetsa. Ke ngwana yo a tswang gare ga kgwedi le selemela Ke Mmirwa, Babirwa we! Se bone Mmirwa a le tee wa mo tla nkela, Babirwa ba tletse lehwelere. Ke nna morwa Mokgadi le Ngwako a dinonyana, Mokgadi letapa go lema ka go ja le phala le ba shomi, Mokgadi ‘leho’ se solela baeng le ba feti ka tsela ka go swana.
Nteseng ke i thobalele ka khutso gobane ge e le la ka keno ke lebone. Nteseng ke latele leitsibulo laka Mokoti a maisemane, yo Modimo a kgaotsego leeto la gagwe a sa le tseleng, yo re bego re holofetse gore ke yena yo a tlago go re alafa ka metswako ya sekgowa botsofyading bja rena ka ge a be a ithutile tsa bongaka bja sekgowa. Fela Modimo o be a na le merero ye mengwe ka yena. Ge e le hlabano ke e hlabane, go tseba Mmopi waka gore ke hlabane e bjang. Bo rra weso le bo makgolo bao ba ithobaletsego hlakanetsang, Mashilo ’a bannyana ke yo.
Ya ka tema ke e kgathile, e shaletse lena bana baka; bana ba tswang mpeng ya morwedi ’a Bakwena, ba ana kwena ya lehlaka noka magetleng; bao monna a lefsega a rego ‘ra palelwa ke kwena ka mo badibana maswana, ge e le yeo e nago le madira re tla e reng?’ Ke yoo mokwena a metse a pula ke motlogela diatleng tsa gago, wena Maemo, maemola ba sitsana, wena ngwana wa dikano tsaka, wena lenthlane lentlorontlope, kgaetsedi a Mokgadi letapa o le ma ka go ja le phala le bashomi. Ke ra le wena Tshepo Mogale, setlogolo sa Babirwa le Bakwena. Nnanabo soo! Ga ke nyake go kwa a nhlabela mokgosi ke ithobaletse. Ge a le palela le mo ise Thuding go Mokgadi, khuna mala a gagwe.”
His chosen hymns
- Botho bjo ka kang bja Modimo
- Lehono re batho re tseba go rapela
- Go tla ba bjang ge ke šia lefase lena le bolang
- O Mogau wa Modimo
