Moatlhodi stands witness to whipping of misbehaved boys
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday March 26, 2014 14:59
Headman of Mophoka ward in the village, Thoki Selemani administered the four strokes on the boys who had harassed mourners the previous night during the vigil and in the morning at the cemetery as the body of the DJ, Tshotlego Tapela was being laid to rest.
Tapela, going by the trade name Dj Small, did his disc jockeying in Maun, Francistown and Borolong. He was involved in a fatal car accident last Wednesday when the Francistown-bound car he was travelling in overturned near Gweta.
Immediately after the funeral Selemani stood up and ordered the lashing of the misbehaving boys. “This is against our tradition and culture. We do not allow children or people to misbehave during funeral services.
“I am annoyed at what happened at the cemetery.
“The two boys who misbehaved were out of line and need to be disciplined,” he said. “Ke kopa gore le ntetlelele gore bana ba ba otlhaiwe gone jaanong jaana, eseng jalo go kgwatlhe nna (Please permit me to mete out the right punishment for these boys right this minute, or else, I will take the punishment myself),” a fuming Selemani said as he shed his jacket.
The two young men were summoned to the front of a fully packed Mophoka Kgotla situated a few metres opposite the deceased’s yard where men were ordered to sit after the funeral.
The duo were whipped in front of Moatlhodi and Tonota Sub District Council chairperson Peter Williams who also expressed their annoyance with the behaviour of the boys who were said to have insulted the mourners.
The young men were instructed to remove their jackets and shirts and lie down on the ground and given the four strokes each by an elder. Having admitted blameworthiness, the boys were a sheepish lot as, after the stinging lashes they calmly went back to join other men in the mourning circle.
Selemani stressed the point that misbehaving, especially during difficult times of death, whilst some people are in deep sorrow, would not be tolerated.
Moatlhodi was equally unimpressed with the boys’ misdemeanor.
He said people in his constituency were well known for the respect of their culture and that it was good that the leadership of the village found it fit to instil discipline among children who misbehave, especially during funerals.
“This is not strange to the people of this area. Even the two young men knew that they were courting trouble by misbehaving. “They cannot even complain or fight back, it is our culture,” he said.