African Bank founder's last words!

THE Father of Black Business, Samuel Mokgethi Motsuenyane died on Monday, 29 April, at age 97.

His last words were, "It's now time for me to rest" before he went to the heavens.

On Tuesday, 7 May, mourners gathered at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand to bid their final goodbyes in a memorial service.

Speaking to Daily Sun, Motsuenyane's grandson Mokgethi Motsuenyane said he was glad to have been with his grandfather before he passed away.

"It was beautiful. We were having a conversation. I helped him prepare for bed, and during that time, I remember making jokes and having a good laugh.

"By the time we got to his bed, he told me it was not time for him to rest. At the time, I couldn't make out what he was saying.

"I figured it was his usual time to sleep. As I was assisting him get on the bed, he asked if it was time, and I said yes. The moment he rested his head, I knew he was gone," Mokgethi said.

While his heart was broken at the loss of his grandfather, Mokgethi said he was grateful to have had someone like him in his life.

"Thank you mkhulu for everything. There were times when I needed to be shown direction as a man, and you did just that. You taught me how to be a leader, and I thank him for the life he taught me as a man and a future father," he said.

Another family member, Velaphi Ratshefola said Motsuenyane was the glue that held the family together, a man who always honoured family and did everything he could to bring them together in difficult times.

Velaphi was not shy to give Motsuenyane praise for his dapper style, claiming that "he always understood the assignment".

Motsuenyane was one of the founders of the largest and best-known African business organisation, the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (Nafcoc), in 1964, which later birthed the African Bank.

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He also served as a Member of Parliament and as South Africa's first ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Friends and colleagues who gathered at the memorial service described Motsuenyane as a selfless and resilient man who paved the way for black people to believe they are more than what the past subjected them to.

Pogiso Modise of Nafcoc said Motsuenyane has passed his legacy on and left behind projects he was working on.

He further praised Motsuenyane for his integrity and hoped the next generation would strengthen Nafcoc's image.

"He hated laziness, stealing and lying. To Nafoco, from 2011 to the day he died, he worked and cried about unity he didn't achieve. When he died he was of the view that there was no Nafcoc in this nation. Now, those who are left behind have a role to play in building on the resurrections and unity of Nafcoc," he said.