OBITUARY
 
( Text from Funeral Service Booklet - 27/08/04 )

Remembering an architect, a father, a friend and a nation builder. His compassion, sense of humour, and intelligent yet passionate nature will for ever be in our hearts.

Motlatsi Peter "Mentla" Malefane was born to Motlatentoa and Matlala Malefane, in Maseu on the 10th of October 1946, the third of eight siblings. 

He started school at Hahohlo Primary, in Maseru and completed his matric at St Stevens in Mohaleshoek. After his high school education he taught in Morija and then worked in the construction industry which subsequently led him to have a keen interest in Architecture. He met and married Nomhle and they are blessed with three children. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture Degree at the University of Natal in 1978 and became the first African architect to graduate from a South African university.

After qualifying, he worked for Lesotho Housing, and later moved to Johannesburg, where he established a private practice. In his twenty four years of private practice he trained and developed architects and made an immense contribution to South Africa and internationally. His major contributions were in the field of design architect, concept architect, commissioning of building facilities, educational facilities, low cost housing, health care facilities, retail centres, office development, hotel developments, and residential works. He again married Harriet and they are blessed with two children.

he has worked in association with the best Architects in South Africa and the world at large and achieved the highest recognition in his profession of Architecture. This led to the formation of the Black Architects' Association of which he was founding member. The highlight of his career was when he was one of the ten international Architects invited by UNESCO to conceptualise the monument of Black Slavery in Dakar, Senegal, in 1994.

Motlatsi Peter Malefane has been recognised and awarded the Howard University Citation for Leadership in Architecture in recognition of his pioneering achievement in 1989. In the same year he received a Proclamation by the Office of the Mayor, Washington DC. In 1993 he became Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects by the Board of Directors for his Distinguished Achievement in the Profession of Architecture. He valued the creation of living spaces that reflected light, enough space, simple design and proper orientation and green space.

We are currently compiling a photo album of Peter's life with contributions from family and friends and will be adding those on to this page over the coming weeks. If you have a story or photo which you would like included please email it to us.