SCHOOL OF DEATH
Letlhakane school’s boarding master dies from headmaster’s funeral
In the midst of anxiety and concerns by Letlhakane residents over the recent death of their village’s senior secondary school’ s Headmaster Matthews Rakhudu, the school’s Boarding Master, Otlaathusa Tshwarakgole has also died, adding more confusion as to what could be wrong at the school.
The 60-year-old Boarding Master died this past weekend while returning from the funeral of the School Head Rakhudu who recently died from committing suicide - an occurrence that quickly brought memories of 2010 when another School Head of the same institution committed.
Le tl ha kane Station Commander Michael Maphephu said the accident happened some 40km before Letlhakane when the deceased was travelling from the funeral in Serowe.
“We are still trying to investigate who could have been driving between the deceased and his 38-year- old friend who only escaped with minor injuries.
“Our preliminary investigations suggest that the friend, who is a teacher at the same school, might have been the one driving even though he is denying it,” Maphephu said.
At the time of Rakhudu’s death, who was found hanging from a tree at his cattle post near Dimajwe village a week ago, the Letlhakane community was already terrified of what could be happening with the School Head’s position at the school, with fears and observations that anyone who occupies it ends up dead.
In 2010, Tamuhla Jorosi, who was a School Head there at the time, committed suicide – found hanging from the rafters of his compound’s servant’ s quarter son a Saturday after he could not make it to a scheduled meeting he was to address.
The School Head who replaced Mr Jorosi, Mr More, would also die within four months of taking up the post. In came Peter D’Arcy to replace More, and his son reportedly committed suicide inside the School Head’s house. Rakhudu’s recent death would once again get the people talking, only for another prominent member of the school, Tshwaragole to die in an inexplicable accident.
Tshwarakgole’s untimely death has since added to the alarm in the village, with many calling for interventions from the ministry of education.
The Ministry of Basic Education’s spokesperson Orabile Phefo was at pains to explain the strange deaths of those linked with Letlhakane Senior Secondary School. He could only refer to it all as “a sensitive issue” he did not want to discussed.
Letlhakane village chief Baruntshi Kegapetswe is among the many villagers worried about what is happening at the school.
“Something is seriously wrong at this school. We are worried, if it was not for Corona virus, I would call a meeting so that we address this issue and map a way forward,” he said.
Kegapetswe said he has been in Letlhakane long enough and they have watched helplessly as great men at that fell one after the other. He said at one point the school was allegedly haunted by what was deemed as acts of satanism.
“Ne gotwe go na le batho ba ba nwang madi gone kwa, I have always been there to rebuke and talk against such horrifying tales. I also blame the many churches that often flocked the school - nobody knows what they left at the school and now we are dealing with the consequences,” Kgosi said.
He said they have since warned that churches should not be allowed at the school and though prayer is important, there is need for careful monitoring of all those who come to the school claiming to be sent by God.
He shared that they now wonder if indeed the school is possessed by demons as many allege and if true how these will all be exorcised.
Bakani Matlhasene (56) a respected prophet and pastor renowned for his healing powers at the village said that evil spirits and ghosts are roaming the school and there is need for them to be expelled.
“If it was up to me, I would say we go there as soon as yesterday, mewa ya batho ba ba ipolaetseng kwa e saletse teng, re tshwanetse re epolole dilo tsa boloi tse di kwa.
“We also need to pray and pray hard. I know the government will not understand these things but if they relax people will continue dying,” Matlhasene said.
Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) Publicity Secretary Botshelo Tupane said they are equally disturbed by the deaths but they cannot blame them all on evil cults as there is nothing to prove such.
He advised that government must be helped to provide psychological support to both staff and students in schools.
“We can never know what was happening in their lives and we should not be quick to jump to conclusions, there is need for counseling in schools,” he said.
Tupane noted that he was aware that it might be scary for any employee to agree to replace Rakhudu at the school but advised that people should not live in fear of the unknown.