IN MEMORIAM
POTOKI ISAAC NKWE (1950-2017)
P
otoki Isaac Nkwe (BEd 1982, MEd 1984) was born in Krugersdorp, the son of Regina Sepotokele and Alfred Lebajoa. From the age of five, he lived with his grandparents, Bishop Daniel Nkwe and Norah Nkwe, on a farm in Potchefstroom, where he spent many happy years with his siblings and cousins. He had warm memories about travelling with his grandfather, the Bishop, on a bike to areas around Fochville, visiting churches within the African Anglican Church. When he was about nine, they relocated to Sharpeville. When he completed his junior certificate in 1967, his uncle, Bishop David Nkwe, and aunt, Maggie Nkwe, saw his potential and decided that he should move to Orlando High School to be taught by the well-known maths teacher and principal Dr Thamsanqa Wilkinson “Wilkie” Kambule. Even though that opportunity eluded him, he still got very good results when he matriculated in 1969. During his time at the University of the North (now called the University of Limpopo), in the early 1970s, Potoki completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy and Psychology. He was also Chairman of the University Choral Society and President of the Students’ Representative Council. Potoki became a teacher at Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto and was a member of the Johannesburg Teachers’ Choir and the St Paul’s Anglican Church Choir. He was arrested together with other students and teachers during the 1976 Soweto Uprising – but two weeks later he married Doris Tsakane Ntsanwisi. He also taught at Hudson Ntsanwisi Secondary School in Nkowankowa, and became Deputy Principal and Headmaster. During his time in Giyani, he worked as a Senior School Psychologist and later as Chief Education Advisor for the Department of Education for the Gazankulu Authority. Potoki went on to attain his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degrees while lecturing and supervising research students at Wits University. He did
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his internship at the East Rand Hospital and qualified as a clinical psychologist before starting his private practice in clinical psychology and education services at Ipelegeng Community Centre. He focused on psychotherapy for young adolescents but ran many other projects at Ipelegeng. It was through this work that the WK Kellogg Foundation invited him to be their South African representative and programme director. He later worked for several organisations including the Mpumalanga Development Corporation, Alexandra Renewal Project and Junior Achievement (an academy for training entrepreneurs). Potoki remained a member of various church choirs, including St Michael’s Anglican Church and St Paul’s Anglican Church. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in August 2017 and passed away in October. He is survived by his wife Tsakane and daughters Matshego, Dineo and Gontse and their families. Source: Rev. Martha Gordon
NICO NEL (1926-2017)
D
r Nicholas Everhardus Nel (MBBCh 1951) was born in Brakpan and died in Bloemfontein, aged 91. He had been a GP and grape farmer in Douglas, in the Northern Cape, and ran a clinic at Schmidtsdrif. He leaves his wife Elsie and children. Source: Volksblad 8 November 2017
