Demystifying snakes among Batswana

Handle with care: George and Naledi shows some of his snakes to his audience  PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES
Handle with care: George and Naledi shows some of his snakes to his audience PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

"Ah, diotse ke dio tsa makgoa tse", (this is stuff for white people) an onlooker, standing metres away, said in admiration at a demonstration by Dick Tekanyo George, who was holding one of the world's deadliest snakes, the venomous black mamba, near the river in Maun. And that is the mindset George is on a mission to change, writes Staff Writer THALEFANG CHARLES

Only a few will get to read through this simply because of their fear and/or hate for snakes. It is Setswana tradition that when a snake is spotted, it is killed.

The killing is typically an epic show, with wild shouting, heavy weapons, stones, logs and everything thrown at the direction of the snake. If the snake disappears amidst the avalanche of missiles directed at it, people either move or even burn the whole house just to kill any remnants of the serpent.

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