He said the DNA test would be only a formality because he knows that she is his mother and claims she has his birth certificate and passport.

Speaking to Monitor, Nomathemba said that she was shocked to hear that Matthews claimed that she is his mother and related how she came to know Matthews.

She said that she started knowing Matthews when he came home with her son around 1986 when her son was doing Grade Two. 

"He came home with my son, who was born in 1980 because he did not have anywhere to go. My son said that he always saw him at school. Matthews did not look like he was born in 1978 as he says, he looked much older than that," she said.

She said that she has six children born in 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1986 and Matthews was not one of them. Nomathemba said that Matthews came with one man from Zimbabwe who later ditched him and went back to Zimbabwe.

"Matthews stayed with us until my husband, who was working on the mines in South Africa, returned home. When he came and found Matthews he did not want him there because we had girls and he felt they were not safe with him around. So he gave him P50 and a blanket and told him to go," she said.

Nomathemba said that when Matthews left at the instruction of the husband, she heard that he was working at BEDU around 1990, but he later returned to her home accompanied by the police.

Contrary to what Matthews is saying that he used to go to South Africa with Nomathemba, who is of South African origin, she says that she never went there with him.

"He must have gone through my stuff because when I went to visit my family in South Africa I found him there and my father told me that he said that he was my son but when he saw me he ran away," she added.

She explained that when she returned to Botswana a few months later, the police and Immigration officers came again with Matthews, saying that he had raped three girls, but he was later cleared of the charges.

He said that the last time he came with the police was when he begun saying that she was his mother and this whole confusion started.

"He started insisting that I was his mother and we started endless court visits where he insisted on a DNA test to prove that I was his mother," she said.

She said that the government could not help him pay for the test because they do not want to risk being sued by her; so the magistrate ordered that the applicant, Matthews, should find money to pay for the test.

"I cannot wait until this DNA is done because I also want my name to be cleared on this matter. I will not take out money from own pocket to pay for that DNA because I know that I am not his mother. He should find the money and I will be there to prove that I am not his mother," she said, adding that what Matthews is doing to her and her family is cruel.

She said that Matthews almost hit her when they left court sessions.

Nomathemba said that Matthews' story is ridiculous and that as far as she knows he is a criminal. Both Nomathemba and Matthews say that they are eagerly waiting for the DNA test to prove that they are right. But where will the money come from?