Thupa gae bolae, e bolaya peba

After thrashing an offending child, a Motswana elder would soothe the weeper with these words: “ Thupa gae bolae, e bolaya peba (a little spanking can kill only a rat.”At the kgotla a recalcitrant young man is made to bend over and lashed on bare buttocks.

The elders would then say “Ya mosimane ke e nkgwe (a boy deserves a canning”.

They did not discriminate who should get larruping or not.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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