Rethabile’s weakness and gift

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Those unpleasant comments specifically targeted at a dead man and his grieving family, in general, reminded me of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where Paul has some profound things to say about the theme of strength in weakness.

“To keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

As I grow older I have become increasingly aware of my weaknesses and of those around me. As such, I will be the first to admit that Rethabile had a weakness.
Paul talks about a thorn in his flesh. We are not sure exactly what that ‘thorn’ was. Nevertheless, he described it as a messenger of Satan to harass him and pleads with God to take it away. And God says, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Obviously what Paul called his “thorn in the flesh” was some kind of physical ailment that caused him great distress. These verses are such a different way to think and live. They speak to being content with weaknesses and insults.

Rethabile identified with Paul, thorns come in many shapes and sizes.
Rethabile had a thorn in his flesh and that thorn was alcoholism that harassed him almost all of his adult life.
His thorn was painful beyond measure because it subjected him to public ridicule and shame. I am sure it was unbearable.
It darkened his whole journey. I used to think it would cripple his usefulness but he always found a way to be useful.

Most Basotho were unable to see any good in Rethabile’s thorn. But just because you and I can’t find a good reason for a thorn, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. I am not glorifying alcohol but in Rethabile’s case it made any gathering casual and friendly. You need to understand that alcohol is a social lubricant. When people are casual and friendly there is no room for petty judgements, etiquettes of social hierarchy and fawning.

That is why you would find the son of Lesotho’s prime minister in the local public bar, mingling with strangers who became his friends.
Alcoholism also had the unique and beatific ability to spin laughter. Rethabile was a very funny person even though his humour was very wicked on some days.
With alcohol strangers become friends, friends become cliques and cliques become vast drinking scenes. It was the golden bond that connected the son of the Prime Minister with most of his friends and acquaintances.

It was the shame of alcoholism that made him humble though he was the son of one of the most powerful people in Lesotho. It was strangers who genuinely liked him, who became very powerful allies because they would come to his aid when he least expected it. As a result, it made him have ubuntu (humanity) .

I would remind many that had it not been for alcohol some would not have known Rethabile, let alone mingle with him.
Many sons and daughters of presidents or prime ministers in Africa have flamboyant lifestyles and have no inhibitions.
They spend lavishly on their birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.

Rethabile had a simple, humble wedding. I do not remember him spending lavishly on his birthday.
While he battled alcoholism, some sons and daughters of African presidents, prime ministers and ministers were busy looting government coffers and getting kickbacks from multinational companies keen to secure tenders and exploit national resources.

I once asked him why the son of the most powerful person remained a public servant. He laughed and said: “Do not worry about me Mr. Matlosa, I am fine.”
He was just fine where he was.
I am glad that at his funeral, Rethabile was not accused of embezzling funds from the government or abusing his position as the son of a prime minister.
He was only accused of his alcoholism and wicked humour.

Meanwhile, Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s former president, was accused of corruption and embezzlement when her father was in power.
In 2012, the New York Times reported that US police had seized assets belonging to Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the Equatorial Guinea president’s son. Among the seized items were a US$2 million wine collection, a US$180 million building in Paris thought to have 101 rooms, including a Turkish bath, a hair salon, two gym clubs, a nightclub, a movie theatre and furniture worth US$50 million.

Remember the famous party of President Zuma’s sons. In April 2009, twins Duduzile and Duduzane had earned a reputation for their blinged-out lifestyle. Duduzile’s birthday bash at the Inanda Club in Sandton attracted 600 guests. The party teemed with high-profile celebrities, politicians and models. Guests had access to an open bar, which flowed with Hennessy Cognac and Veuve Clicquot. Duduzane was accused of having a corrupt relationship with the Gupta family
I can go on and on talking about the flamboyant lifestyles of the sons and daughters of presidents, prime ministers and ministers.
Rethabile died a mere public servant. I can imagine it would have been unforgivable if he died having embezzled government funds and brought real embarrassment to the Mosisili family.

He would have destroyed his father’s legacy of being a simple and humble man who was not preoccupied with a flamboyant and glutinous lifestyle while in office.
I understand that heavy alcohol drinking can certainly put one at risk of embarrassment, injury, or poor decisions.

Alcoholism is a thief because it takes so much from us mentally, physically, and spiritually. It not only robs us of our well-being, our health, and our faith, but it steals us away from our family and friends. Above all, alcoholism destroys trust which is the bedrock of all relationships.

I fully comprehend that drinking a lot for many years will take its toll on one’s body. I know long-term alcohol misuse increased Rethabile’s risk of serious health conditions, including high blood pressure and liver disease which eventually took his life.
I have watched several videos of Rethabile and know how he was ridiculed.

I am sure it was a humiliating experience for the prime minister and his family. Indeed alcoholics are prone to shame.
I am, therefore, not promoting alcohol in any way. My argument is that alcohol made Rethabile a people’s person. He mingled with people from all walks of life. He was very humble for someone carrying a powerful surname like his.

I argue that it was because of alcohol that Rethabile did not think highly of himself because of the surname he carried.
What we learn from the example of Paul is that God allows us to be weak: Rethabile’s weakness was alcohol. It forced him to be in low circumstances in life, to be in difficult situations that he was not gifted to handle.

Stop praying to escape suffering. The purpose of the thorn coupled with God’s grace is humility, dependence, and usability.
Where would Rethabile’s power be without his wound?

In 2022 during the election campaign, he called to ask how my campaign was going. I said I was struggling and he gave me M3 000 for petrol.
I will forever be grateful for the big and small things he did for me.

In other countries that surname wouldn’t have allowed him to mingle with a common man like me. I know sons and daughters of some politicians in Lesotho have joined the scramble for lucrative state contracts that have turned them into millionaires. They include the sons and daughters of former ministers. Rethabile did not join that scramble for lucrative tenders.

I have concluded that alcoholism was a gift of sorts to Rethabile in that it made him a decent human being, humble enough to associate with all the people from all walks of life in this country.
Just like his father, Rethabile was the epitome of humility, honesty, integrity and simplicity. He was a true patriot. In him, we lost a loyal public servant.

A true tribute to him would be to describe him as an ideal of humility, honesty, integrity and simplicity. Had it not been for alcoholism Rethabile would probably have stayed in London or Cape Town enjoying the fruits of embezzlement and grand corruption.

Despite his weakness, Rethabile Mosisili touched the hearts and lives of many. I was in my youth when he served as the deputy principal secretary of the Ministry of Gender and Sports, Youth and Recreation.

We, who were the youth of yesterday, know very well that the youth of today are the beneficiaries of some of his works.

Ramahooana Matlosa