My daughter is a snake!

An angry father has vowed to remove his favourite daughter from his will after she dragged him to court for assault.

In a case before Maun Customary Court last Monday, 64-year-old Galetswesepe Bathusi, furiously declared he was turning his back on his golden child, Etsile Galetswegope.

It seems the trouble started after 27-year-old Etsile borrowed her newly purchased Toyota Vitz to her boyfriend – an action that drove her father crazy.

Speaking to The Voice outside court, Bathusi unashamedly admitted Etsile was by far the favourite of his seven children.

“I loved her more than all my children. In fact she is the one whom I have put as a sole beneficiary of my estate. I have not given any of my estate to my wife or any of the children but I gave everything to her. I mean everything is written on her name. Little did I know she was a snake!” he blasted in an emotional tirade.

The background of the case is that sometime last year, Bathusi sold 42 of his cattle, for which he received P120, 000.

He then shared the money with his children, dividing it up unequally between them.

“I gave them different amounts; some I gave P500, some P800, P1, 000 or so. But because Etsile is my favourite, I gave her P9, 000.”

Etsile topped up her share with her savings and bought herself a Toyota Vitz.

However, in January she allowed her boyfriend to use the car, much to her father’s fury.

“O tsere koloi a e neela nyatsi ya gagwe (She took the car and gave it to her boyfriend),” the fuming father told court.

Bathusi added he became even angrier at his daughter’s rude response when he enquired about the vehicle.

“She asked me what I wanted to do with it when it wasn’t mine. I then grabbed her by her cheeks before letting her go and I told her I bought that car with proceeds of my cattle and that I cannot support her boyfriend with my sweat.”

After court, the old man was quick to voice his dislike of Etsile’s boyfriend, describing him as ‘a good for nothing kind of guy’.

Bathusi was so worked up about the whole episode that he still shook with fury in court this week, despite the event taking place two months ago.

He also told court he wanted his P9, 000 back, adding he intends to travel to Gaborone the next day to meet his lawyers so he can change his will.

Bathusi explained he was afraid his daughter’s boyfriend would end up benefiting too much from his estate, which he had planned to wholly pass on to Etsile upon his death.

Nevertheless, court reminded Bathusi the matter was not about his money but rather the assault he carried out against his daughter in January.

He was given a two-month prison sentence wholly suspended for four months and advised to calm down.

Court also encouraged him to reconsider his emotional decision to completely remove his daughter from his will.

Meanwhile, Etsile told court her father had assaulted her for no reason.

Her family – two sisters, a brother and their mother – were there to support her.

They were even overheard outside court advising Etsile to appeal the suspended sentence issued by Kgosi Pringle Dithapo.

It appears Etsile will follow that advice, with the young woman stating, “You don’t understand my father, it will not end here.”

In fact, her relatives explained Etsile has moved out of the family home due to the conflict over the car, even though the boyfriend has since returned it.