‘MY VROU MAKON VAS! MY WIFE HOLD ON TIGHT’

On the 28^th June 2021, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Staff members received the sad news that one of our colleagues Ms Cinderella Cindy Mphetolang had gone to be with the Lord. When the sad news landed in our ears, we were all grief stricken, clearly a dark cloud had enveloped the organisation. I wondered, “how can Cindy as young, vibrant and full of life just pack her bags and go?”, it was a question that failed to distil answers, we concluded, God knows the number of days, he has graciously allocated for each one of us.To date, we are still reeling in shock, our ever – smiling Cindy-She is gone. We all fondly called her ‘Cindy’. When she first joined the Council in 2012 as an Intern. Cindy was a very outgoing person and had the gift of interacting with all staff members across different ages and departments during her stay at HRDC.

On the 30^th June, 2021 a sombre memorial service was held for our Cindy at the HRDC Garden in the presence of her family members. Described by all speakers of the day as fun - loving, cheerful and someone who enjoyed life to the fullest. We all mourned her sorely thinking of the memories she each left with all of us, she was simply a free spirited soul. Ms Thato Letsogo, one of Cindy’s close friends remarked during the memorial service week ‘’Ooh Cindy your days were filled with joy and happiness. You loved life and that is how I will always remember you, though sadness creeps in but an overflow of love and laughter takes over. Legendary babe. We shared the love for cars and I’m still riding boo! Continue resting.’’ Mr Ralecha Mmatli, Institutional Planning, Manager gave a sermon that consoled many titled ‘My vrou makon vas! My wife hold on tight’ My vrou, hou vas (Mey fro oufas)- My wife hold on tight My skat, moenie greep verloor nie (Mey skat, muni gerip feluere ni)- my dear don’t lose grip My skat, moenie opgee nie (Mey skat,muni op giel ni)-My dear don’t give up Hou styf vas (Au stei fas)-Hold tight EK vra vir water (Ek fra fa vatre) I am asking for water.

The story according to Mr Mmatli, there is a brother, Omphitlhetse Dickson Rasharp Gabanakgosi. About 10-15 years ago, he shared a story with me and that story stuck with me and has created deep impressions on me. Dickson tells me that it was just before Botswana gained her independence that there were some Afrikaners in the Kanye area who were keeping flocks of goats and sheep. One day one of them waited for his flock to come in the evening and that was not so. So early in the morning he harnessed four (4) of his horses and off they pulled his horse carriage looking for Around mid-day, it was so hot and they didn’t take any water and they were very thirsty. So in the bushes of Kanye, they saw a small round mud hut and that was their hope for water. So the man turned the horses in the direction of the hut and stopped by the entrance, whose fence was generally made of bushes.

It was in spring and bees were all over making honey. Dickson says next to the entrance in the bush fence, there was a beehive. The Afrikaner man saw some little girl and asked for water-On suk de vateer. The little girl got shocked at seeing white people and she ran to the back of the yard to tell her father. Meanwhile the man alighted from the horse carriage and entered the yard to ask for water. The white man found the old man who apparently had worked in the mines in South Africa and knew Afrikaans so they conversed well and he was offered water, which he gulped down.

Just as he was taking the share for his wife who was waiting on the horse carriage, he heard his horses starting to gallop outside the yard and he realised that bees were stinging them and they galloped off violently at full speed. The wife was calling him as horses sped away in flight and he shouted to the top of his voice- Mei vro Maakonfas-my wife hold on tight-my dear tighten your grip, my dear, hold fast and don’t let gomeivro, hold on to the very end. Mei vro maakonfaas!! There were noises from all over; The noises from the hooves of the galloping horses, from horses crying being stung by bees, buzzing sound of bees attacking horses, screeching sounds of cart wheels as horses were literally pulling anything-logs, bushes, some head boys emerging from the bush shouting as if enjoying a movie, they were watching and some shouting to the poor wife to jump off that crazy horse cart.

The more the noises produced around, the more the horses rushed on dangerously with the lady at the back of the horse cart. Ultimately the galloping horses came to a thicket of bushes which they couldn’t penetrate but had no choice but to stop abruptly. Everything that had been in the horse cart was thrown off, except the poor lady who seemed stuck to the cart. Finally, the husband came and found the horses now calm and his wife’s hands dripping blood from the deep cuts she got from holding tight to the horse cart during that period of indescribable madness. The husband asked her, what exactly cut your hands like this? She answered that when the horses started galloping off and there was a lot of noise from all quarters, I listened to only one voice and that was your voice. There were many messages flying around and it was very confusing, but I chose only your message.

There were many instructions given from many quarters, but I chose to follow only your instruction which said Mei vro Maakonfas my wife hold on tight, my dear tighten your grip, my dear, hold fast and don’t let go-mei vro, hold on to the very end. Mei vro maakonfaas!! Brethren the horses of our lives are being stung by bees of this life of sin, our livelihoods are being threatened by joblessness (caused by corona or just retirement), businesses affected by Covid-19 –Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs), Consultancies, catering services for young people their very existence and reason for living as families is eroded by the death of our loved ones. Ke tla itshwarelela ka sefapano Ke tla ingaparela ka sefapano Ke ingangatela. In conclusion, Mr Mmatli asked us all to have faith and to hold on just as the Afrikaners wife held on despite whatever challenges we may encounter.