On mixing business with pleasure and “stocko” culture

Mixing business with pleasure is a contentious controversial practice. Intimate affairs between business associates, and fraternisation in the workplace is common, but romantic or sexual relations between colleagues, particularly a manager and reporting staff member, are often discouraged, sometimes through organisational policy. It’s widely believed that in professional settings, people who are having an affair are likely to be biased and conflicted, and partake in favouritism and other unfair practice that is influenced by their personal interests.

But this has never stopped some people from having intimate relationships with their business associates or conducting workplace romances. I once came across an interesting report that claims that nearly 70 percent of people have affairs at work or with business associates, and that nearly 50 percent of people reportedly meet their life partners/spouses through work or business.

And some people apparently even have ‘office spouses.’ The other day I was telling an acquaintance about a certain duo who dated at work and continued to have a “secret” sexual affair even after the woman got married to someone else. They even sat next to each other in the office, o kgona go bona hela gore ba bone ba ntse ba mo moonong wa malobanyana. It was also obvious that the lady was still besotted and drunk in love; she was suspiciously over-protective and snoopy to the extent that whenever I spoke to him, she would eavesdrop, a gonyolla molala yo e ka reng wa koko ya samolalana. She was strangely convinced that I was interested in her leftovers. Mind you, the chap is known to be a conquest-seeking promiscuous womaniser, so I was boggled as to what she thought was special about him. She spread nasty rumours about me, habitually passed me snide remarks and even recruiting her bitter and gossipy “gang” to harass and rile me up. I was ‘shook’ by the level of ridiculousness and stupidity. Re na le go kgakgallwa ke DDS waitse…

Kana kooteng batho ba ba tlwaetseng go jola mo ditirong ba na le go akanya gore mongwe le mongwe o tshwana le bone. Nna ga ke a tlela go atlhamela banna go lo mo Gaborone mo. Ga se mongwe le mongwe yo o elang nice-time ko dikantorong; some people have goals way bigger than fornication!

And then comes the issue of go ja stocko. It is known that some bosses have affairs with their subordinates, and some of these stocko reign so much power and influence that if you dare upset them, you are bound to end up in hot water. I learnt this the hard way once, after I had an unsavoury exchange with an office stocko who had a habit of discrediting and putting me down. I later established that I was perceived as “troublesome villain” for putting them in their place, because no one had ever dared challenge them. That experience and many others, taught me that in work and business settings, it’s best to remain professional and stay in your lane.

I also learnt the unwritten rule of the workplace: Hands off the stocko!

This came to mind recently during the debacle involving popular rapper Scar, after he was reportedly sacked from his breakfast radio slot following a fall-out with a colleague who claimed she felt “physically threatened” by him. Apparently, the said woman is one boss’ prime stocko… Ke ne ke ne ke tlotlelwa!

He he… Kana di stock di a tshwenya mo ditirong – e nna bone di-bosso jannong. This also goes to show how weak some men are. Ke gore monna o kgona go laolwa ke mosadi, a lopela ‘nnetu.’ Tlerere!