Glimpses of life in the heart of a desert
Friday, January 21, 2022 | 1310 Views |
Waterhole along Nossob River in the KTP PICS: THALEFANG CHARLES
If one takes the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) map and points right at the middle of it, that is the general location of Matopi Campsites. It is one of the remotest campsites in the country. It is literally in the middle of nowhere.
There is not much at Matopi. Just a few Shepherd’s Trees (metopi) and an eerie looking dysfunctional pit latrine. There is no water source around. No expansive views, , just desert shrubs. Matopi is where one feels completely disconnected from the modern world.
It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...