SA Catholic Village High School Produces Two Of Africa`s Leading Sports Officials

by Daluxolo Moloantoa · Published February 9, 2022 · Updated February 8, 2022

(Left) Dr Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). (Right) Ms Cecilia Molokwane is the president of NETBALL AFRICA.

“It takes a village to raise a child”, so goes the well-known African proverb. Rephrase the proverb to “It takes a village, and a Catholic high school to raise a child”, and you’ve hit the nail on the head when it comes to two of Africa`s reigning sports confederation presidents.

Tsogo High School, a Catholic mission high school situated in Mmakau Village, sixty kilometres north-west of Pretoria, has achieved the remarkable feat of having produced the current presidents of two of Africa`s continent-wide sports bodies. Dr Patrice Motsepe is the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Ms Cecilia Molokwane is the president of NETBALL AFRICA.

Dr Patrice Motsepe

A leading businessman, and a parishioner of the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Sandton, in Johannesburg, Dr Motsepe was born and raised in Mmakau Village. He was born into an Anglican family. Together with his four siblings, he was sent to boarding school at the St Joseph Catholic School in Aliwal North. This is where the Motsepe children converted to Catholicism.

Upon the completion of his primary schooling in Aliwal North, Dr Motsepe returned to his home village and commenced with his high schooling at Tsogo High School. The school was founded in 1975 by the Stigmatine Fathers and the Sisters of Mercy. Instrumental in the school`s founding were Fr Michele D`Annucci CSS and Sr Majella Quinn RSM.

Ms Cecilia Molokwane

Ms Cecilia Molokwane was baptised, received her first holy communion, confirmed and got married at her hometown parish of the Holy Cross in Garankuwa township, a stone`s throw from Mmakau Village. Apart from her presidency of NETBALL AFRICA, she is also the current president of the South African netball federation NETBALL SA. As a church youth group member, she took up a leading position in the drum majorettes groups of the Garankuwa parishes, and honed her talent as a netball player at Tsogo High School.

Dr Motsepe and Ms Molokwane take up their place amongst the school`s glittering array of leading alumnus, which include leading figures in a variety of fields including health, academia, education and government.

Little-known as it is, the school`s past and present learners have proved that it was by no accident that the school was christened with the name Tsogo, which means rise or resurrection in the Setswana language. The school continues to be a top performer in school results on an annual basis nationally and in the Bojanala district of the North-West Province.