Book: Tlhabane Ya Makgowa
Author: Tiisetso Thiba
Genre; Setswana novel
The
author, South African fluent poet, Thiba wrote this book based on what is happening in the
real life. And he takes us step by step through the life of hamlet lad
Modisagaarekwe; who was born in one of
the village called Phaposane near Ganyesa in North West Province. Modisagaarekwe was a
young man who was collected, meek and very responsible from a tender age. And
his parents raised him well that is why when he started working, and when he
visited home, he was always handful. Because he used to come home with
groceries and clothes for his parents from Gauteng where he was working in a
post office, and that never changed when he got a lucrative job at Impala Mine
in Rusternburg. Neighbours were pleased to see what this young man is doing for
his parents, and they wished their boys could do the same as Modisagaarekwe.
Furthermore
those neighbours were so hopeful that this lad will marry one of their
beautiful daughters from his village soon. And things turned nasty when he went
out and married drop dead gorgeous Gadifele from Gamanyai, just a few
kilometres from Phaposane. After his cultural marriage in Phaposane when he
greeted his neighbour none of them greeted him back, they were so jealous and
full of loathing, wondering what does Gadifele has that their daughters don’t
have.
The
title of the book is a nick name of the Platinum city Rustenburg. Most of the
guys who work in Rustenburg, when they visit their homes, wives and kids and parents,
they used wear nice clothes and smell nice. And those unemployed guys back at
home they were disliking them because they were getting lots of love from the
ladies in the villages because they will always be cleaned, wearing flasham
shoes, brandwood trousers, white shirt, and leather jacket when the weather is
unfriendly cold while their fishtale cuts full of glycerine and when they pass
the streets, others will call them “Makgowa” meaning a person who got money and
style.
Modisagaarekwe
was maturing very well and his parents were very proud of him, because swiftly
they were blessed enough and had two sons with his wife Gadifele. While working
in Rustenburg he got attracted to a cute lady called Kedisaletse. And
Kedisaletse stolen Modisagaarekwe’s heart and managed to make him forgot his
parents, his wife and sons. Though he promised his uncle Thulo that he will
never change when he got to Rustenburg because he knows what he wants in life.
Rustenburg girl Kedisaletse used muthi to make Modisagaarekwe to love her and
buy her a house full of furniture, and a car. Take care of her daughter of not
his. And make him marry her to take all his money from Impala and his assets as
well. Kedisaletse managed this by help of her mother and sister, none of them were
not married but they own a big house with the same trick they used to trap guys
most especially from villages and makes them forget where are they coming from.
Most of the ladies in Tlhabane Ya Makgowa apply that trick for guys and win
their hearts and pretend to love them though they are in a mission to fulfil
it. And you will be surprised to see young lady driving a German machine and
she is single, though others are more educated and use their education to
succeed in life with or without boyfriend or marriage. Modisagarekwe went back
home with nothing after fulfil Kedisaletse’s mission and they had only one
child together beside first born of Kedisaletse. He was forced out in his big
house by police after Kedisaletse allegedly claimed that he had raped her, and
after few days Modisagaarekwe spent in Jail her Rustenburg wife decided to drop
the charges and asked the police to release him and never allow him to come
closer to their house in Tlhabane as it was final that they are divorced. He
arrived home in Phaposane with nothing to show that he ever worked a lucrative
job. He was tattered like a web spider and smelly like a pig kraal. It was a
shame and he was accepted back by his family and both his parents were late
because of his unpleasant deeds and shame he put in his family. Gadifele and
her sons never allowed their father to live with them again fearing the
deceases and embarrassment. Modisagaarekwe sons were so successful in life.
Modisagarekwe was regretting everything that happened in Rustenburg and wished
he could be dead at once because he was now the laughing stock of the village,
no longer smelling nice and dressing fine clothes like he used to be. What a
pity!!
