Dear Nonhle Thema and potential transgressors � don�t be tjatjarag!

Keletso Thobega | Tuesday November 18, 2014 10:58

Gatwe ne ba mo kgaphisa sethito makgarebe a GC! What irked me was her response to the whole hullabaloo. She had this, “it is what it is, deal with it” attitude. This Nonhle character once shockingly insulted colleagues and followers in her home country.  So as much as I was taken aback by her alleged rants, I wasn’t shocked.

It boggles me that a grown woman in her mid-30s, with experience in the entertainment industry and has had so many opportunities to build a solid brand, still thrives off silly controversy to remain relevant.

I have concluded that she is one of those young women who money and fame have a negative effect on, to the point that their egos inflate to self-destructive proportions.

I’m not sure what criteria South Africans follow to select their “celebrities” but I must emphasise that she is one there, not in Botswana. Furthermore, Batswana don’t take kindly to someone behaving like a bantu-educated mongrel with a brain the size of a pea.

For someone who has been drawn out as a schizophrenic and insecure drama queen in her home country, Nonhle might be dizzy from the reality that she is not the only interesting and attractive lady around, neither is she getting younger. I don’t think she has any place being nasty. If anything, she has to be nice. When sordid details of your life have been splashed in cheap R6 magazines, you have to be nice and sit down. Besides, normal women her age aren’t gratified by hanging out in nightclubs and behaving like straat mates. Ungumfazi omdala, Nonhle, ziphate kanje!

 Because of our close proximity to South Africa and the similarities in culture, languages and lifestyle; we read the same newspapers watch the same television shows and follow the same trends but it doesn’t mean that we have any problem. If anything, life here is much better here than in many places; and that is why we have an influx of foreigners. We however don’t chase them away, because we are civil enough to appreciate that we exist in a cosmopolitan world.

 Batswana also have a sense of humour. However, there’s a difference between being funny and being stupid.  There are generally things we can joke about and others we can’t. It’s called having empathy.

 Nonhle should be the one worried about HIV/AIDS for obvious well-documented reasons. What’s startling is that she may be unaware of the impact of HIV/AIDS in her country.  Does she even know that AIDS is an acronym…does she know what it stands for? Is she so ignorant that it doesn’t occur to her that HIV/AIDS can affect anyone anywhere, regardless of how beautiful, handsome, rich, or a smarty pants they think they are?

She may have made the mistake of thinking that money is everything. Yes, money can get you a fancy house in the suburbs, snazzy cars, fashionable clothes and other material things. But it cannot buy you dignity, happiness, respect, love and honour. Humane qualities are not bought off a shelf nor do they come with endorsement freebies.

 What’s more infuriating is that she wasn’t invited here. Hers was an impromptu visit. As Batswana we were expecting rain floods, as per meteorological warnings, not an expired “SA celebrity” who would spew crap. During her Twitter fecal rants some time ago, she didn’t fail to mention that she has a lot of money.  Congratulations to her. But why didn’t she sit in her mansion and count her millions? Why come to a country of “skinny, ugly women with AIDS?’’

It’s unfortunate that some foreigners take advantage of our peacefulness and assume being laidback means we are dimwits. Yet, they want to come here and milk us dry of our hard-earned money. How can you want people’s money and support whereas you undermine them? Motho o nkga le ditsagagwe!

Botswana is a free and peaceful country. We welcome everyone, but on condition that they behave. We won’t tolerate being insulted by foreigners in our own backyard.  I appreciate how Batswana stood united and showed disdain for that shady woman’s rants, and rejected foreign ridicule.

This should also serve as a lesson to Batswana that we should develop our own industries; embrace and celebrate our own products, services and personalities first. Maybe then, would we get a break from non-entities who think they are semi-gods!