Dr Kgotso Maphalla has been named among this year’s National Order recipients.
Affectionately known as “KPD”, Maphalla will be bestowed the order of Ikhamanga posthumously by President, Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday.
The order is bestowed to South Africans who have excelled in the fields of arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.
Maphalla is a multi-award-winning author who published more than 70 Sesotho literary works among others.
The prolific author Maphalla passed on in April this year at the age 66 after suffering a stroke.
His death has been described as a colossal loss in the literary fraternity:
Maphalla’s life and legacy
A teacher by profession, Maphalla’s illustrious career started more than 40 years ago.
The selfless veteran mentored many budding authors. Several of his works have also been analysed for dissertations and doctoral studies.
Maphalla won his first major literary prize in 1980, in the Sesotho poetry competition of the Radio Bantu Sesotho Service, now known as Lesedi FM.
Maphalla was bestowed with several lifetime achiever awards. His plethora of awards and accolades include the MNET Award and the Chairperson’s Award by the South African Literary Awards.
He has also bestowed an honorary doctorate from the University of the Free State in 2007.
The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has described Maphalla as a custodian of Sesotho who always produced quality work.
Sesotho Literature Museum Assistant Director Tseliso Masolane says they will continue to preserve and develop Sesotho in his honour.
