This past Wednesday, (15 February 2023), marked the 79th birthday of the iconic local horse extraordinaire ntate Enos Mosotho Mafokate.
He was born on the 15th of February 1944, at 5th Avenue Alexandra Township.
I derive the latter date from him verbally, as his identity document (ID), wrongfully states 1946.
Such misleading details are not surprising as those were the heydays of racial oppression, even though 1944 predated the officialising of Apartheid, as government policy under the leadership of General James Barry Munnik (JBM) Hertzog’s (1866 – 1942) National Party (NP), after their victory in 1948.
It ought to be recalled that the NP was an Afrikaner ethnic nationalist party, which singularly promoted the interests of Afrikaners in South Africa.
As the custodians of Apartheid, the NP governed South Africa from the 4th of June 1948, spanning until the 9th of May 1994.
The latter details are critical, in attempts to comprehend that ntate Enos Mafokate was treated, as just another kaffir (a heathen incapable of achieving much due to their pigmentation as blacks instead of their ability).
Ntate Enos Mafokate’s 79th birthday programme comprised both outdoor and indoor sessions.
The outdoor items were aptly led by Ms. Katlego Mafokate (the eldest grand-daughter of ntate Enos Mafokate, who was taught to ride horses by her grandfather from the tender age of 10).
Ms. Katlego introduced Ms. Moipone Twala to deliver a prayer to kick-start the birthday celebrations.
Ms. Katlego then highlighted to the guests, who comprised a cohort of learners and teachers from the Winnie Mandela School and broader community members (from Soweto and elsewhere) that an interview was followed between ntate Enos Mafokate and me, while others were to resume horse riding.
The next item of drama acted by the students of Winnie Mandela School ended the outdoor session.
All present were then invited into the indoor hall of the Soweto Equestrian Centre.
Ntate Enos Mafokate changed into a formal suit and tie and his dapper look complimented the birthday decorations, on the walls and tables which were colourfully laced out across the venue.
Ntate Enos Mafokate towered over what appeared, as a chocolate-flavoured cake that protruded with the number 79 and gleefully addressed his audience.
Then entrepreneur and avid horse rider Mr. Muzi Kunene III were called up and he imparted a few words of support, to ntate Enos Mafokate and the budding horse riders in the audience.
He expressed to me his wish, for a polo team from Soweto.
Ms. Katlego Mafokate returned to announce two pleasant surprises, a gift of a portrait of ntate Enos Mafokate from the Winnie Mandela School, drawn by one of their learners, and a jovial performance of three uplifting songs, sung by a coterie of the Soweto Creative Arts group.
The absence of Ward 33 Councillor Nompumelelo Mazibuko, as was listed on the program led to ntate Enos Mafokate formally ending the session, with words of thanks and announcements.
In a nutshell ntate Enos Mafokate was among South Africa’s pioneering blacks, whose lifetime of association with horses distinguished him, as amongst others South Africa’s first black show jumping champion as a ‘groom’ since 1962.
Later in 1977, he was a joint winner of the first multiracial Inanda Club show jumping competition alongside Anneli Wucherfening -Drummond Hay.
As a pair, they went on to win that same competition three times in a row (in 1978 and 1979). In 1980 ntate Enos Mafokate finally commenced competing abroad after being spotted by the Welsh rider David Broome.
Owing to apartheid, ntate Enos Mafokate’s solid working relations with Anneli led to her penning a letter to the late Queen Elizabeth II, to request permission for this black South African to compete in the Wembley Royal International show in England.
This competition was strictly reserved, for horse riding champions.
The Queen agreed and ntate Enos Mafokate astonishingly achieved 5th place, in the competition out of 31 champions.
After plenty of other achievements over the years, in 1988 ntate Enos Mafokate assisted by two boys established a horse-riding school, which operated under the banner of the ‘Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) in Nancefield, Soweto, now called the ‘Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals’ (PDSA).
In 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics in Spain, ntate Enos Mafokate was selected as the first black South African show jumper, to accompany the South African squad.
Then in 2007 the City of Johannesburg (COJ) under mayor Amos Masondo gifted ntate Enos Mafokate stand no 1679/1680, located on Vundla and the corner of Lefatola, in Moroka, where he built the current riding School as the ‘Enos Mafokate Equestrian Foundation’, nicknamed ‘Soweto Equestrian Centre’.
The latter is a non-profit riding school.
Among its chief aims is to improve the welfare of cart horses in Soweto and open the elite world of horse riding to people, who can not afford to ride horses.
In our interview ntate Enos Mafokate explicated that “We work with autistic children from Adelaide Tambo School for the Physically Challenged.
“Working with such kids has led to the Soweto Equestrian Centre forging a working relationship with a horse tTherapy centre in Honey-Dew.
“Our major clients include the Winnie Madikizela Mandela School, the Mohato School for Autism in Naledi and the Molalatladi Primary School.
“‘It is fulfilling to host kids, who come to ride freely at the center from all over Soweto”. He lamented the lack of government support.”
Ntate Enos Mafokate’s achievements and the story of how he became the foremost black South African stalwart of horses or morena wa di pere (Lord of horses) seems to have been ignored or downplayed.
As a consequence, ntate Enos Mafokate’s iconic stature appears to be in oblivion.
Ntate Enos Mafokate’s 79th birthday marked a life, in which he persevered from abject poverty to a successful career as a horseman.
Enos Mafokate has been happily married to Grace Mafokate since 1964 and their loving union has been blessed with seven children (3 boys and 4 girls).
Two of their boys turned out to be the famous South African kwaito musicians Arthur Mafokate (the third child) and the late Mark Antony (the fourth child).
The latter was otherwise commonly called Oupa ‘Makhendlas’ Mafokate (1971-1998).
Recent reports of Arthur Mafokate’s alleged fraud involving a R56,3 million grant, linked to his Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) the South African Art and Development Association (SAADA) have somewhat sullied the Mafokate name.
RELATED: SIU Secures Preservation Order Against Kwaito Star Arthur Mafokate’s Property – The Bulrushes
Thankfully besides ntate Enos Mafokate’s recent 79th birthday celebration at his Soweto Equestrian Centre with mostly aspirant riders restored some shine.
Besides his granddaughter, Owami Melodee Mafokate – Arthur Mafokate’s vibrant 22-year-old daughter, is creating entertaining content on social media platforms Tiktok and Instagram.
She is certainly contributing towards redeeming the Mafokate brand.
If hindsight is the best sight, then more ventures are vital, to acquaint ntate Enos Mafokate to the South African public.
This unique 79th birthday convinced me that this living legend must receive his flowers.
*The author of this article Dr. Tshepo Mvulane Moloi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies (AMCHES) at the University of Johannesburg. The views Dr. Tshepo Mvulane Moloi expresses in this article are not necessarily those of The Bulrushes
