The Voice (Francistown)
Chevula Thabano
22 April 2008
Francistown — Thirty-seven-year-old Pontsho Mokgwathi regretted the days she used to rush to the bush for a quick roll in the hay with her ex husband, Seboko Gouwe, as he flatly denied having fathered her 14-year-old son.
Mokgwathi explained to the magistrate that she consented to those stolen moments as she still loved Gouwe and hoped that by agreeing to quench his sexual thirst whenever he demanded he would eventually take her back. She explained to the court that he had told her that they cannot be seen together because his parents would be angry that they had gotten back together, thus the meetings in the secret meetings in the bush. However, those stolen moments only resulted in heartache for Mokgwathi. As soon as she told him that she was pregnant Gouwe immediately denied having fathered the baby and abandoned her. "I suffered a great deal when I was pregnant as I had no one to take care of me. I loitered around Mochudi with no shelter and no food as I had no source of income."
Mokgwathi narrated her ordeal to Masunga Magistrate Milidzani Masie -Moyo. Gouwe had been summoned to answer for the charge of not maintaining his two children with ex wife Mokgwathi. He admitted that he had not been taking care of the children and said that he was willing to pay P200 every month for his 16-year-old daughter but said he would not pay for the upkeep of the 14-year-old, as he was not his son.
In defense, Gouwe told the court that he had broken up with his wife because of her "wild ways" and kept on going to her even when they were separated because he hoped she would change. "Unfortunately,she never changed as I always heard rumours that she slept with various men in the house that I had rented for her. I even caught one of the men whom I believe is the father of the child she now wants to claim is mine."
When questioned about the moments in the bush, Gouwe denied having slept with Mokgwathi during their separation. He admitted having abandoned her when she told him that she was pregnant as, "I knew I was not responsible for the pregnancy." Gouwe said he only stepped in when a social worker in Mochudi approached him to help his ex wife as her delivery date was now near. He said he then located her and bought maternity wear and baby clothes for her and gave her money for transport to go to her home village in Mapoka.
Magistrate Moyo,however,ruled that Gouwe was just trying to avoid his responsibilities and ordered that he pay P225 for each of the children. She advised Gouwe to go for a paternity test and told him that if the boy turned out not to be his he would be liable for a refund from Mokgwathi.
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