Dr Molapo Selepe – Writing as exact as medical precision

Dr Molapo Selepe was born and bred in Kutlwanong, Odendaalsrus, in the Free State province, South Africa. He grew up at the height of apartheid in South Africa.

He is the graduate of the University of Cape Town, Medical School in 1999, where he received an MBChB degree. He worked in Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad in his home province until 2002, before considering specialising abroad. He furthered his studies by acquiring qualifications such as MRCGP in London and later FRACGP in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr Selepe has 12 years experience in internal medicine and family medicine garnered in the UK. He has been a Family Physician in Perth, Western Australia, for the past 8 years.

He is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners in London and a Fellow of Australian Royal College of General Practitioners Melbourne. He has over 20 years experience in medicine with a range of clinical expertise.

Dr Selepe recalls: “I instinctively and intuitively knew from a tender age that I had a natural proclivity to writing. I was born among the people who are one with linguistics. Sesotho is a multi dimensional, diverse and versatile language. Our language was decorated with metaphors and proverbs that enhance one’s faculties.

“My dad, Peneng Selepe, was my first inspiration. He was the first black police sergeant by merit in the Free State back in 1974. He had the utmost love for literature. I remember when he was promoted to a Warrant Officer position he used to call himself Mamolangoana (meaning “the rodman”), because they carried a special leather clad stick. Incidentally this was the name of an African Secretary Bird. The Basotho called it, ‘Nonyana ya Mongodi’ – a writing bird. The Secretary bird is an impressive and striking predator bird that’s found mostly in Africa’s open grasslands and savanna. It helps eliminate rodents, reptiles and snakes.”

The Basotho nation was founded at a designated cave called Ngoliloe, in the Eastern Free State. It was here at Ngoliloe that Chief Mohlomi mentored Lepoqo in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. This smart young man who went on to become the first Basotho King, Moshoeshoe.

One of the first projects of Moshoeshoe was to establish Morija, in 1833, the first printing press in Africa. It is from here that Basotho and the Southern African authors wrote the first literature works that included the popular hymn book, “Difela tsa sione” (Songs of Zion).

“My childhood was in many ways influenced by the work of the great literary giants such as JP Mohapeloa and KE Ntsane. When I got to the University of Cape Town in 1992 I then fell in love with many African writers at the African Library such as Es’kia Mphahlele, JM Coetzee, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiongo and Njabulo Ndebele.

“At the university I liked contributing articles to the student magazines and participating in student debates. That transition period of our country from 1990 to 2000 was a huge validation factor that cemented my space in literature.

“Later on my friends like Moreri Khothule-Khoza, Madoda Mxakwe (now CEO of the SABC), Sipho Makhubela (now MD, Harith) and Thulani Sibeko( now Chief Marketing Officer of Standard Bank) and many others spotted and highlighted my writing talent. Looking back and connecting the dots all these conditions paved a way for my love for literature.

“Lately when I saw the simmering quagmire and downward spiral of our beloved continent, I decided to write our story down with a fresh pair of eyes. I was convinced that we were getting the rear end of our story because the narrator has a hidden agenda.

“So I partnered with Township Press and with the help of Jabulile Buthelezi we compiled a new and fresh book that carried the authentic story, a brutal assessment of our grim situation and the prospects of an inexplicable tomorrow if we learnt to love, protect and build our continent for our posterity. It is an invigorating and inspiring work as it is deliberately and intentionally meant to lift “A New Afrikan” out of the doldrums of despair into a new source of hope and self determination.”

“A New Afrikan” is a groundbreaking trilogy of books. It’s a series intended to change the tapestry and future of the African continent through mindset change. Dr Selepe’s experience is that a lot of what goes wrong in people’s health is directly influenced by the social economic conditions under which they live. Without changing our environment and redefining our power dynamics with the Western powers, Africa will always be placed on her back foot.

His previous riveting books are “Final Straw” published in 2008, and “The Extra Mile” published in 2018.