Felinah marries a limbless sweetheart
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday March 2, 2015 18:00
They have lived together for 16 years, bearing seven children, three boys and four girls. Ditshupo had been living a normal and productive life as a construction worker until 2012, when a fatal electricity accident cost him all the limbs while on duty at a site at Game City.
“We have gone through rough times together. We stood and fell together and believe me my wife is a very remarkable woman,” he said with a light smile on his face. He said that even though he was not making a lot of money as a carpenter, he was able to feed his family and pay for his children’s school fees.
“I lost hope in life but my wife was there to support me. Even though in Setswana a man does not have to display his weakness, I did, but my beautiful wife gave me a shoulder to cry on. She had always been there for me since day one to date,” he revealed.
He added that he was taken to his parents’ home as he was facing a very difficult time, but Felinah followed him there and insisted on taking care of him.
He said in one incident after his new wife visited him at his parents’ home in Sefophe, she was involved in a car accident, and she was challenged to go and be with her. “We set there helpless as we were both in pain. Luckily, my wife got healed and she has been taking care of me,” he said.
Ditshupo explained that since the accident, their lives changed drastically as his wife had to leave the piece jobs she had while he lost his job as he is now disabled. He said life has become difficult as he is failing to take care of his children and wife.
“I can not pay my children’s school fees, buy them food or dress them like I used to. We are now living a harsh life, as we have become poor. I do not know where I am going to take my wife to as even though we have a plot we have no money to build a house and we have been sleeping in one room with our children,” he said.
The groom also pointed out that since the incident the right side of his waist has been hurting that he can not sleep on its side. He cried that he did not have a wheelchair and had to borrow a wheelchair from a certain church for his wedding. According to the bride, she did not see any reason to abandon the love of her life due to an accident and disability. She said even though life was difficult for them, she found it fit to get married to her man despite all odds.
He said his efforts to seek help from Office of the President (OP) ran futile.
His friend also the best man Base Rammutla pointed out that he was not happy with the money his friend was given for compensation.
“I do not know if Botswana Power Corporation has to be sued in this matter as their cables were not insulated that is why my friend lost his limbs. I think we need legal advice in this issue because I feel we have a lot of unanswered answers regarding my friend’s tragedy,” he said.