Joe Kanekane’s funeral service on Wednesday, July 24

By MALUM NALU

The funeral service of respected senior public servant and PNG Media Council president Joe Kanekane will be held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, East Boroko, on Wednesday, July 24.

Kanekane, 44, from Kowengil village in Ialibu, Southern Highlands, was director of the PNG Law and Justice Sector Secretariat (LJSS), at the times of his death from heart attack at Tabubil Hospital in Western province on Sunday, July 14, while on vacation.

Kanekane in his role as PNG Media Council president.-Picture courtesy of Community Development Initiative

Funeral service will be held from 9am to 12pm, after which the body will be taken to the Funeral Home at Erima, where it lies until 6pm when it is taken to the family home at Rainbow Village to overnight.

On Thursday morning, the body will be flown to Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen, where the Baisu Correctional Services band will lead proceedings.

The funeral possession then leaves for Imbonggu, Southern Highlands, stepping along the wayside at Telgha LJSS project sites, and Lower Nebilyer for last respects, before departing for Imbonggu where it will be met by MP and Works Minister Francis Awesa at Walum district office.

The body will be then taken to Kanekane’s beloved Kowengil village, where the traditional haus krai (house of mourning) begins, and lasts until next Monday for funeral service and burial.

Kanekane held an MBA, a degree in arts with honours from the University of Papua New Guinea and a post-graduate diploma from the University of Wales.

He was president of the PNG Media Council, chairman of the Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum (ICRAF) board, a member of the National Scouts Association Board and was the chairman of the PNG Censorship board.

He was also on the Caritas PNG board, was co-chairman of the Community Coalition against Corruption and was an accomplished poet and writer.

Kanekane travelled around the country while he was growing up as his father, Kanekane Kepa, was a jail warder.

 He was a trained primary school teacher before he took up university studies in 1989.

His mother Cecilia told The National at his haus krai that Kanekane was born in Maprik, East Sepik, on Sept 9, 1968.

He began primary school in Wapenamanda, Enga, and continued on to Laiagam, Banz in Western Highlands and Mt Hagen.

Kanekane went on to the Madang Teachers’ College where he trained for two years and then taught in Western Highlands before taking up studies at UPNG.

“He said he loved writing and wanted to become a journalist,” his mother recalled.

He did, with a successful career at Word Publishing before joining LJSS.

“It’s a big loss to the family and tribe, law and justice sector, media and the whole country,” LJSS chief internal auditor Robert Tukundo, a cousin of Kanekane, said.