Zolaconda: The allure of mass hysteria

Hundreds held vigil during the search
Hundreds held vigil during the search

On Tuesday afternoon, the southern half of Gaborone was brought to a standstill, after a seven-year-old girl reported that another child had been snatched by a snake-like creature near a stream in Old Naledi. With the incident subsequently debunked as a hoax by police, Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI, asks why mass hysteria is so seductive

The stories are well known.  Boarding school learners, usually girls, report that some mysterious, supernatural creature or force is terrorising them.

Others regularly report sightings of paranormal fiends.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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