Kgaugelo KG Moxwale
Pretoria - The stalwart newspaperman Jos Charle served in many roles in his long-standing career, including chairperson in the National Press Club, former Pretoria News news and executive editor, and ICC Cricket World Cup committee spokesperson.
He was a Young Men’s Guild (YMG) member in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA), a Methodist Circuit steward in Moreleta and leader at Mamelodi Central Methodist Church where he served the community of Mamelodi.
A man with absolute integrity, honesty and a determined, straight- forward “no-nonsense” personality, he was innovative, creative and a responsible leader. His leadership and administrative skills are almost legendary and could be deemed unprecedented in the Moreleta Circuit.
He attended numerous seminars and conferences in the MCSA. He travelled globally and often represented not only his church but the country through his various affiliations.
Ntate Jos Charle was passionate about humanity and the development of young people in the church, especially in Mamelodi. He was very supportive to our youth ministry programmes and wanted the youth not to only get involved but to take the leading role and also be able to influence the decisions of the church to benefit youth work.
He worked with us to move the youth from the periphery to the centre of our church youth ministry, especially during the time of Reverend Kabelo Mahupela at Mamelodi Central Methodist and Reverend Smanga Bosman as the circuit superintendent.
He played a huge role in the development of the youth in the church and community.
So we will remember him as a great editor and a determined activist and Christian leader and role model.
But Ntate Charle was also a man of unbending principle: you never had any doubt about what he believed, what he thought and what he stood for. He was firm, consistent and solid as a rock. He had a spine of steel. And he was an impeccable gentleman.
Every now and then there is a death which gives us pause, a legacy which makes us re-evaluate our own lives and values, that has us thinking how much more we can do with our time and our resources and the balance between our public and our private lives.
Every now and then there is a model of a life lived to the full that we have to stop and ponder, and see if we could possibly match up to it.
Ntate Jos’s life was one of those. The Methodist Church of Southern Africa at large has lost a dedicated administrator and leader.
The community of Mamelodi and Tshwane at large has lost a social justice activist of note.
He will be missed, but his impact will live forever.
Robala Ka Kgotso Ntate Jos Charle
One heart, One way.
Pretoria News