History will repeat itself when we are all ignorant and inferiority is etched very well in our minds. As the granddaughter of BMT4379/Cpl.N4379 – Benjamin Satiba Makgate/Ben Makgate – Mollo oa Marumo. I wrote this biography to honor him and his fellow Afrakan Colonial Soldiers (ACS), who were Prisoners of War (POW) in 1939 – 1945 in Europe.

He wrote a journal (diary) relating to their captivity on the 21 June 1942 in Tobruk, Libya that needs to be narrated and shared with the entire world as a mechanism of de-colonizing history and deChristianizing God. Rewriting history is a must in our life time as the descendants of Afrakans who stomached centuries of crimes of colonialism and horrors of world wars.

Ben Satiba Makgate was a tribalist, Corporal, Soldiers, Prisoner of war, priest, father, great grandfather, grandfather, brother, uncle and a friend, who fought during the Second World War [1939 – 1945]. He was amongst millions of Afrakans who liberated Europe from Fascism. Bear in mind, that Afrakans fought during both world war I and II but white leaders erased their heroism, bravery and great deeds of protecting the world from one of their fascists and racists with their lives.

He noted most crucial atrocities and the brutalities they went through in his diary during their captivity in Europe as prisoners of war knowing very well that the white leaders, historians and cameraman will delete the importance of Afrakan soldiers in ending the wars. His prayers, hymns and versus from the bible made his life a living hell in the hands of the enemy as prisoners. His motivation and faith were stronger that the mountains and hope was the only mental shield for any situation they came across as Afrakan soldiers.

He was born on the 01st of January 1906 in Boomplaas, Lydenburg, which is in the eastern part of South Afraka. He was the last son of Matatane Martha & Sefofele Samuel Makgate. His parents passed away when he was eleven (11) years old. His mother passed on in 1917 and the father was promoted to glory the following year. He had two siblings, a brother Mmotlana Solomon and a sister Tlakale Sarah. They were orphans and lived with their uncle Mamatšhiri Enos Makgate.

Bloomplaas was and is still a beautiful fertile land near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga, South Afraka and it belongs to the indigenous South Afrakans and Benjamin Satiba Makgate’s family was living in that area. During the apartheid era, white people (Afrikaners) used to settle for fertile lands in South Afraka and forcefully moved Black people from most of their lands such as Boomplaas according to the 1913 Native Land act. Black people who were residing in Boomplaas before Afrikaners arrived in South Afraka in 1856 were landless. It was a land with lot of water and grazing areas for their livestock and mostly for farming/ploughing/cultivating food for their families and the rest of the society.

Most white people who settled in those areas were fellow white soldiers who fought during the World War II and were compensated by the apartheid regime with new houses/homes and the fertile lands except my grandfather (Benjamin Satiba Makgate) and his fellow black soldiers. They were given soldier boots, bicycles and the lucky ones got a horse. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is still on the process of commemoration for those who fought and passed on and for the few left who survived. The Commission is working to commemorate the forgotten ACS for almost eighty (80) years, which is an indication of unwillingness for justice, remembrance and reparations.

He was conscripted between 1939 and 1940, which he said; we were playing football (soccer) on the dusty grounds in Bloomplaas when white men approached us and lying that they are looking for people to work in factories and mines. We were still young and looking for jobs. They were having lots of food such as preserved beefs and breads. We never knew that we will not see our families again until the end of World War II. Bear in mind that they were on a horrendous mission of targeting young black males during apartheid system to join the forces.

After the 2nd world war he married Violet Magophethedi Masegankane Mampe Matladi Moetanalo. They were blessed with seven (7) children, six (6) girls (Mangiare, Nthapama, Nkitsing, Aspro, Moetana and Kidibone) and the only son named Mosotho.

He once worked at Ok Bizaar in Germiston and Vleisboom bakery. He was a priest/ministering at Thwala Street, Witbank/Emalahleni for Lutheran Church of South Africa from 1966 until1983 and for Lutheran Reformed Church of Southern Africa in 1980 until he became a Bishop and retired in 1990. His wife passed on the 1st of July 1995 at Nelspruit. He wished to join her before one year of her passing on and his wish was granted by badimo ba ba botse because he was admitted at Jane Furse hospital for a short illness. He shared with me (Matilda TheeGreat) his wish before he passes on by saying; I don’t want my wife to leave me for a year because I want to be with her in the grave. He passed away on the 01st May 1996 and he savored by his seven (7) children, twenty-eight (28) grandchildren, thirty-two (32) great grand grandchildren and three (3) great-great grandchildren.