Goitseone Bathobakae finally laid to rest

NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE
Correspondent | Monday May 27, 2013 00:00

Her corpse had been moved from one mortuary to the other, as the two families would not agree on who should bury her remains. Goitseone was kept in a mortuary at Serowe for a month as her parents and children had set to bury her at her place of birth in Mhalapitsa on April 27 where funeral arrangements where everything, including food, was prepared.

She was transferred to a mortuary in Tlokweng on May 17 as her in-laws had arranged to bury her corpse at Kopong the following day.Goitseone, who died on April 17, was interred at the Broadhurst Cemetery on a chilly Saturday morning after the two families (Bathobakae and Lephokgo), who had been dragging each other in and out of court as they were fighting over the deceased's remains, decided to follow a court order and bury the hatchet.

It was a very painful morning for Hailey Lephokgo, relatives and grandchildren after seeing Goitseone's body that was in a terrible state at Travellers' mortuary in Tlokweng where the body had been kept after being transferred from the same mortuary in Serowe.

The old woman, who could not stop crying that her daughter had been abused, left many teary as her sharp painful wails pierced through the hearts of the mourners. 'Ijoo ngwanake o sotletsweng ke motho,' she kept on repeating this as her other daughter and relatives tried to console her.

Her four grand daughters, who devastated by the situation they saw their mother in, could not cease crying.The relatives, friends and neighbours could not stop talking of how deformed Goitseone's corpse was. Traditionally, men are known to be brave but this was not the case as even men sobbed silently.

The deceased's husband Agustine Bathobakae was speechless and remorseful as the heartbreaking cries pierced the walls of the mortuary and the hearts of the heartbroken attendants. In a message he sent to his late wife, Augustine pleaded with his late wife to rest in peace and not look back. He promised her that he would look after their children (Goitseone's children from previous marriage).

Even though Lephokgo, who was clearly heartbroken, still grieving and angry decided not to attend the families' meeting, other family members from the two sides decided to meet and reconcile. Augustine's aunt and uncles pleaded with the Lephokgo family to forgive them for any pains they have caused them.

Both families promised to start consulting each other about a way forward and to stay but each other's side. They pleaded with the deceased's children to forgive their father as he, too, was in a great deal of pain. They advised them to regularly check on Augustine, as he is still their father.

Augustine's mother, who was present to support her son, promised the gathering that she was also going to take part in supporting and ensuring that her grandchildren are taken care of. Both families agreed that they would start consulting each other and work together on the remaining activities relating to the funeral and other family issues.