A young man who had misguided himself into believing that traditional medicine lucky charm would save him from a guilty verdict in court has learnt a hard lesson in reality.
25-year-old Moseki Tembwe of Shashe ward in Maun was like a freighted animal with teary eyes before Maun customary court after the charm failed to cause dismissal of his case and he was sentenced to six strokes of the cane on bare buttocks instead.
Tembwe was brought before court by Maun police for a common nuisance case after he beat up and insulted his mother.
According to the police, the mother had that day asked him about suspicions of sexual assault of a minor but instead of responding in a civil manner, Tembwe is said to have attacked the woman. “He slapped her, hit her with fists until she fled to a nearby tuck-shop to buy airtime so she could call the police,” court papers stated.
Tembwe is said to have followed her and upon realising that she was calling the police, he is said to have hurled insults not only to her mother but also to the other women who were in her company sending all of them scurrying for cover.
Before court Tembwe admitted to have mentioned her mother’s private parts and that at the time he was intoxicated with drugs, marijuana and cat.
“I seek forgiveness, what I did was a shameful thing. I am supposed to be caring for my mother and I have learned from this. I have not touched drugs since,” he said.
But unimpressed, his mother told the court of how his son was only putting up an act before court as that morning he was bathing in traditional herbs with the hope that his case would be dismissed and indeed Tembwe admitted to have tried his luck through the lucky charm.
“The muti did not work. I bathed in herbs for nothing,” a disappointed Tembwe snapped in court after Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo who was presiding over the matter ordered that he be taken out for a thorough walloping.
Ledimo further told Tembwe that what he has done is unforgivable on earth and that no amount of punishment can cleanse the sins he had committed against his mother. “Your punishment is in heaven. Only God will give it to you because if you continue acting like this you are a walking corpse, but you still have a chance to repent and do things right,” said the chief.
Tembwe shed tears as he shook hands with his mother and asked for forgiveness. In the meantime investigations on the alleged sexual assault against him are said to be ongoing.
