OUR HEROES

Lebuwe Emily Molefe, nee Thobejane, was born on the 16 April 1936 in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth where her aunt lived. Even though she grew up at Ga-Maja, her home and roots are at Ga-Mphahlele, also in Limpopo. Her father ChiloaneThobejane was a teacher, a preacher, community leader and school principal and mother Makgabo nee Molaba was a school teacher. The parents’ profession involved transfers to several schools resulting in moving and living around towns and villages of Ga-Maja, Maphulo now known as Solomondale, Ga-Chuene, Ga-Molepo and Bethesda in the then Northern Tranvaal.

Her rural upbringing involved carrying out tough household chores and participating in neighborhood activities and projects such asdrawing water, harvesting firewood, tilling the land, herding cattle, “letsema”, listening to and telling traditional and historic stories. Her influences come from the mountains of Leolo and Mogodumo, and the rivers of Ngopane, Lakabye, Moletsi and Legundwane of Limpopo.This molded herinto a community conscious person who would later become a professional nurse and community worker in Atteridgeville for most of her adult life.

Lebuwe attended Maja Primary School with well-known personalities like Mahlogonolo Maja Ledwaba and Zelpha Lady Maja. Participation in activities of the Wayfarers, Sunbeams, drills, concerts, expeditions, drills and camping prepared her for active leadership roles in her future community work.

She went to several high schools in Polokwane, Limpopo such as Khaiso, NgwanaMohube, Diocesan College now known as Setotolwane and Our Ladies, a Catholic institution where her school mates were MpisiMoloisaneMathibe, Leah ShangeTuta and Dina Mnisi.She was active in athletics as a sprinter, netball and refereeing, drama, debates, touch rugby and community outreach programmes.

Lebuwe whose earlier ambition was to become a social worker, taught for two years as a private teacher at Ga-Mphahlele after matriculation. She instead trained as a nurse at Jane Furse Hospital, Mamone in 1958 but abandoned her training after the death of her mother to take care of her father and siblings and to run the family business, Lefata Bakery at Ga-Mphahlele. She returned to nursing in 1960 training at Pretoria General Hospital and continued with midwifery in 1965 at King Edward Hospital, Durban. She was employed at Boitumelo Hospital, Kroonstad in Free Sate from 1967 to 1977. She later went to acquire a qualification in Nursing Administration at Pelonomi Hospital, Bloemfontein in 1973. During 1981-1983, she studied for Nursing Education and Community Nursing at the then MEDUNSA, Garankuwa.

She continued to rise in the profession and became a Senior Matron at Kalafong Hospital, Atteridgeville in 1977 and Principal Matron the following year.  She furthered her studies by studying Orthopedic Nursing Science at Lebone College, Atteridgeville which would later propel her into another life of caring for those living with disabilities. By providence, while on night duty at Kalafong Hospital, she was challenged by having to nurse a local patient who had broken his neck in an accident. She continued to nurse him for three years as a quadriplegic in the spinal unit. In the process she also trained his wife and two sons in the care for a quadriplegic. The family was thus capacitated to care for beloved husband and father for fifteen years.