” IF I HAD MY WAY, I WOULD BRING BACK BARE BACK FLOGGING” – LETSHOLATHEBE
Maun Customary Court president, Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe, who has served Batawana Customary Court for the past 59 years, has retired from public service at 82-years of age.
He joined the tribal administration as Secretary on September 1st, 1962 and leaves the kgotla as senior chief representative.
“I am going to concentrate on farming,” he said when confirming his retirement on Tuesday last week.
In a brief interview with the Kgosi, who is known for his preference of flogging as a form of punishment instead of sending petty criminals to jail, Letsholathebe said, “A whip has mended ways of many young people. It is not necessary to send them to prison when you can administer a cure for wayward behaviour with a stick and release them back into the society.”
He added that, in fact, if he had his way, the common nuisance and petty criminals would be whipped on bare backs because “bare back whipping had proved effective in the past.”
Asked whether the bare buttocks whipping, which is currently practised, is not as effective, he said, “I believe it is bearing fruit but not as the bare back method, because with the bare back, you rarely had culprits return to the kgotla.”
According to Letsholathebe, common cases at the Maun Kgotla are unlawful possession of marijuana, inheritance, debts and marriage wrecking among others.
As a parting shot, Letsholathebe urged other tribal leaders to treat people with equality and to judge each case on its merits regardless of the status in society of the accused person.”