ADULT education specialist Thabo Raphoto has died, robbing the country of crucial skills

He died at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria on March 29.

Raphoto went to Orlando West High School whose principal was the legendary Dr SK Matseke.

While a student, he developed a keen interest in politics and that led to his activism, which attracted the attention of the security police and let to Raphoto having to skip the country.

He left the country for exile in 1967. After a brief stay in Botswana, he left for Tanzania. He later proceeded to Kenya where he first obtained a diploma in education and later a bachelor's degree at the University of East Africa in Nairobi.

In 1971, Raphoto got a teaching post in Selebi-Phikwe in Botswana. This presented him with the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family after more than 10 years of not seeing them.

While teaching in Botswana, Raphoto secured a scholarship to study in the US where he obtained a masters and doctoral degrees in adult education.

After completing his studies, he decided to stay on in Syracuse, in New York, where his son, Tsatsi, and daughter, Neo, were born and raised.

Raphoto served as chairman, adviser, external examiner, teacher, lecturer, member of teams, boards and others at different institutions, bodies and associations.

Raphoto, who returned to South Africa in 1995, will be buried at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto tomorrow. The funeral service will be held from 8am to 10am at Uncle Tom's Hall (next to the Hector Pietersen Memorial).