Chasing after fool�s gold
Correspondent | Thursday April 30, 2015 15:30
She has seen a period when gold mining was a major source of employment: For many people across Southern Africa, gumboot dancing kept the minds of miners off the depressing situation, which prevailed as a result of the oppressive apartheid system.
Molefhi, who hails from Ramotswa, has had some small roles in old South African television productions.
Her book, The Mine Girl Experience reveals her observant nature and keen interest in everyday life events.
The book seeks to expose the events, which took place then and now including highlighting the evils of a tough life that has driven girls and women into prostitution.
The events of the book, which she plans to turn into a television drama, are centered on the ‘City of Gold’, Johannesburg, where a young beautiful woman, Tumi finds herself trapped in an abusive marriage. Her husband, Mapolanka always comes back from work to verbally and physically abuse her.
After finding a job in one section of the very mine where her husband works she starts enduring more abuse, this time from her boss Koos who sexually exploits her, often taking her to a dark room for a ‘nice time’. The woman finds herself in a compromised position, as she never wanted to cheat on her husband. She considers quitting her job earlier on but she needs the money as most of her husband’s pay is squandered on alcohol.
Many of his husband’s colleagues try to tempt her into ditching him for them, but she is unshaken. She later decides to leave.
However, somewhere along the way and probably due to her husband’s lack of affection she is tempted to fall into the hands of a policeman called Mabitso. The two would occasionally make love in Mapolanka’s absence.
In an interesting turn of events Tumi confronts her husband one evening about his wayward ways and threatens to divorce him.
But the mineworker pleads and assures her he would change for the better and because she truly loves him, Tumi agrees to give him another chance.
But within days Mapolanka is back to his wayward ways and the beatings become extreme, which culminates in him being locked up.
His jailing provides Mabitso with a perfect opportunity to snatch her and relocate. But it is not long before the jailbird finds out and he escapes to find his wife. Once he finds her he shamelessly beats her to a pulp when she refuses to leave with him.
Scared for her life, Tumi leaves. She leaving behind Mabitso who has already stated his intentions to marry her. Her next stop is Hillbrow, Johannesburg where she meets a prostitute, Tefo. Tefo quickly teaches Tumi to turn tricks.
The first few days look rosy as money streams in from all corners, but soon she is faced with another mammoth task where other customers refuse to pay and she has to develop a hard skin.
On her worst day, two men drive to the bush and take turns raping her, then later throw her out of a moving car.
Her solace would have been the police, but they lock her up and request sex in exchange for her freedom.
She initially agrees to the deal, but stubbornly refuses to let the men in uniform take turns on her.
She is ultimately released and then admitted to hospital for the injuries she sustained earlier.
To her surprise when she wakes up in the hospital she finds Tefo laying next to her with serious injuries after her customers roughed her up for allegedly stealing from them.
Finally, Tumi ends up taking God’s path and changes her life.
Book title: The Mine Girl Experience
Written by Sina Molefhi