Bones Of The Dead Pick Elections Winner
Pini Bothoko | Monday October 21, 2019 13:32
Inside their cramped consultation room full of dirty containers and peculiar pungent scent the husband, Motseothata Sekobolo (65), throws down the bones on a small red mat.
The wife Batsile Sekobolo (59) sits clumsily by his right side, little too distant. She appears very reluctant to be part of the consultation. On the opposite side of the red mat are The Monitor reporters seeking answers from the bones.
First question to the bones, “Will Biggie Butale win elections?” The old man throws down the bones and silently studies them scattered on the red mat. Before he says out his interpretation, he urges the wife to come closer and enquires from her, “Di a reng?” (What are they saying?).
The woman sits silently, until the old man gives his own verdict, “Di a gana. Di a re o gateletswe. Ga a kake a wina dithopho”. (They are refusing, he is under pressure, he won’t win elections). For clarity he picks the bones and throws them down again. This time he does not study them long before he gives out a conclusive, “Dia gana mongwame!”
Second question to the bones, “Will Duma Boko win the elections?” Another long, silent studying of the bones follows. It appears like a tough one to tell. Once again the old man asks for help from the wife, “Mmaetsho tla o nthuse”. For the fist time she switches on a smile while intently studying the bones on the red mat. The old man seems confused. There is suspense. Perhaps the bones are not giving a clear message. “Dia gana?” the old asks the wife. The wife says the bones are not refusing. She points and explains the message. The old man is not convinced, “Nta mokgosi wa lela?”
Clarity to the second question to the bones, “Will Duma Boko become the next president?” The bones say it is a stalemate. “Ba a go lekana,” the couple agrees on this interpretation. He explains that the bones say Boko and Masisi would get a stalemate so we would get clarity on the following questions.
Third question to the bones, “Will Mokgweetsi Masisi win the elections and become the next president?” This time the couple does not study the bones for long before they both say, “Dia dumela! Tsotlhe dia dumela!” (They are all agreeing). The wife is now lively and fully engaging the bones. She animatedly points at the bones with confidence and says each one of them is giving Masisi the green light. The old man engages in bones poetry: “Ha o utwa dire ‘tsela tshweu boela mannong seata sa gagwe o se bone ka maboni a Mma Kabona ga ke bone ke tola lentswe’, dia dumela”.
Fourth question to the bones, “Will Ndaba Gaolathe win elections?” The bones land on the red mat and the old takes another relatively longer wait before he says, “Dia re ‘Seketekete se ileng se abo se ile’. Ga a kake!”
Clarity to the fourth question to the bones, ‘Will Ndaba Gaolathe get into Parliament?’ After the bones rattle down on the red mat the old man says, “Owaii! Ona le talente e ntsi mme dia gana. Ga a kake a tsena mo Palamenteng”. The wife agrees to an extent but adds that there is one bone that says he would get in while the rest disagree.
On the hotly contested constituencies, the bones picked the following as winners; Dorcas Makgato (despite a spell of a “dirty animal that is trying to stop her”), Kgotla Autlwetse, Slumber Tsogwane, Gape Motswaledi, Mpho Balopi, Wynter Mmolotsi, Francis Kgobokwe, Eric Molale, Reaboka Mbulawa and Bagalatia Arone.