Tribute to Comrade Reverend Drake Tshenkeng

Editor’s note: The following tribute to the late Rev Isaac Pule Drake Tshenkeng was written and submitted by Aslam Mxolisi Tawana, former president of the Azanian Students Movement (AZASM) and secretary general of the Azanian Student Convention (AZASCO), now a farmer and businessman based in Kimberley. It is published here as received, in his own words, to preserve the personal perspective and historical context he shares.

THE FLAGS in the City of Kimberley and in the Black Consciousness Movement are flying at half-mast on the passing of struggle stalwart Cde Rev Isaac Pule Drake Tshenkeng. Mokala omo tona o wele.

I had met Bra Drake in the 1990s when him and his family had returned from exile in Scotland. That time Bra Drake was positioned at Florianville aka Floors, a Coloured suburb in Kimberley serving the Anglican church there.

Bra Drake was the Vice-President of the Black People's Convention (BPC) serving under the leadership of his friend and comrade Cde Stephen Bantu Biko.

Bra Drake, was born in the township of Galeshewe in Kimberley and was baptised at the St Matthews Anglican Church in Barkly Road. He left the City with Cde Rev Nduna Mpunzi, Cde Rev Stanley Ntwasa aka Son of Man, Cde Rev Amos Matthews & Cde Rev Jeff Moselane to go to Kwa-Maphumulo in the 1960s to finish their Std 9 & Std 10 and do a Pre-Theology course there. These 5 comrades were referred to as the Top 5 by people from Kimberley. May their souls rest in peace as they had preceded him. I had the privilege to have spent time with the other members of the Top 5 bar Cde Rev Matthews. I even had the opportunity to pay my last respects to Cde Moselane whose funeral I attended in Roodepoort a few years ago.

Upon completing their Pre-Theology course at Kwa-Maphumulo, they then proceeded to the Federal Theological Seminary of Southern Africa aka FEDSEM to go and train as priests. 

Fedsem was a multi-denominational theological seminary in South Africa, and an experiment in ecumenical theological education. It was based in the town of Alice, next to the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape Province of Azania (South Africa).

Cde Drake Tshenkeng, Cde Mpotseng Jairus Kgokong (Former Secretary General of AZAPO) Sis Thenjiwe Mtintso formed part of the BPC contact team which liaised with leadership of the Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC) during the Uprising in 1976 & 1977. This BPC contact group liaised with the student leaders regularly and they were responsible to mobilize resources like money and vehicles to assist the students.

Cde Jairus Kgokong in his paper titled "Towards Black Wednesday, 19/10/77, And Beyond" writes that:

"In 1977 on the eve of the apartheid state declaring Bophuthatswana as an independent Bantustan, the BPC led by its Vice-President Cde Drake Tshenkeng visited various Dikgosi in current day Northern Cape & North-West Provinces to warn the traditional leaders of this imminent declaration. One of the progressive Kgosis whom this BPC delegation met was Kgosi Toto of Kuruman in the Northern Cape Province who tipped the delegation of them being followed by the apartheid police as they were going around with this campaign to thwart the declaration of Bophuthatswana"

Bra Drake skipped the country and went into exile. He formed part of the people who found the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA) and was based in Botswana for a brief period.

He then moved on to the United Kingdom and was based in the city of Glasgow in Scotland. He furthered his studies and completed a Masters Degree in Theology at the University of Glasgow.

Bra Drake is survived by his wife and 3 children. Bra Drake will be buried on Thursday in Itireleng village next to Pampierstad. Itereleng is Bra Drakes ancestral land where his father hailed from and I was reliably informed that he will be buried next to his Grandfather. 

Robala ka Kagisho Motshweneng, ya gago tema mo lefatsheng oe weditse.

Wasalaama. Pula 🌧.

— Aslam Mxolisi Tawana