Inside how the polygamous Sekatis go about their lives
Husband, his two wives lay bare their romance in 13 TV episodes
Batswana and followers of The Sekati family finally watched the first episode of the ‘Untold Stories’ of the Sekati family this past Sunday. ‘Untold Stories’ of the Sekati family is a doccie-type series that gives members of the public a glimpse into the modern polygamous family, and how they navigate life in a 13-part episode.
Airing on Ytv Botswana, DSTV channel 291, there has been mixed reviews about the first episode. Some viewers feel that this is what they needed, to have a better understanding of the dynamic family, while others believe that improvements are needed in terms of sound and picture quality of the production. On Sunday, Kemmonye Sekati and his darling wives, Kagiso and Mpho, joined the big premier at a Watch Party held at Rodizio, Phakalane with viewers. This week, the trio told The Midweek Sun in an interview that the family is already working on Season Two, which will be in the form of a reality show. Kemmonye explained that the whole idea behind the ‘Untold Stories’ was to share with the public the dynamics of their family set-up. They wanted to share their struggles, joys, and so much more. He says there are surprises in store for the audience. “There are a lot of surprises,” he said, noting that this journey is opening up the doors to their lives as both a collective and individuals. On social media, he said that there is a part which they have closed off to the public, and that on the television show, there is another part which they have decided to open up to the public. From their interactions with the media, and general public, he said there is great interest to see how the family lives. He also admits that the decision to be on TV was not easy, and that it took time for everyone to give the idea the go-ahead. “As we engaged further and further, we decided that perhaps we should come out and be vulnerable to the public,” he noted. For obvious reasons, Mpho pointed out that there was fear of how the show would be received, as well as what could transpire on social media. The fact that with social media, one does not control how people react, and what they write, added to that fear. That fear, she said, stems from the shame that they experienced before, especially during their wedding preparations, and subsequent wedding. “There were times that I would tell him that I think we have made a mistake by sharing our journey with the public, particularly taking into account the fact that while our set-up is not new, it is normally not practised by the youth. It was not easy for me, and I had doubts and wanted us to live a private life, but with his counselling, we are here now,” she explained. For her part, the Matriarch of the family, Kagiso added that it was not an easy decision to make but with counselling
from him, they came around.
“Slowly, slowly, we adapted. The TV series is different from the Facebook page. In this one, we will be opening more to the public,” she said, noting that they have experience on how to deal with whatever might arise. The first episode started with the views of different ordinary people on polygamy, and Kemmonye believes that this was critical because it is something they could not avoid as the public already has a strong perception for and against the family. He said that they wanted to accord the public space to air their opinions, as they are a big part of their journey. He also promised the public to expect drama. “The production team is responsible for putting this together. KG has said her truth and Mpho has her truth. There are some revelations towards the end, and there are certain things that I would know, and I would not expect them to have said them,” he explained. One of the interesting things that the public might have picked is how both Kemmonye and Mpho have different views on how they met. Mpho claims they met on a hot day, while the husband claims that it was raining or drizzling because on that day, Mpho had an umbrella. They are also adamant that they have not censored themselves, and that they all decided to tell their truth. “If we are not being honest with such, what will be the purpose of us being open because that’s what most people are interested in,” asked Kagiso, noting that they have identified what the public is hungry to see. Kemmonye also revealed that the rest of the family is getting Mental Therapy to prepare them for the reactions of members of the public. He said that
the show is not about polygamy or advocating for polygamy, and that they are dealing with their own truths. “If people get inspiration from that, it is not something that we can control,” he pointed out. One of the things coming up on Episode Two, is how Mpho and Kagiso never envisioned themselves in a polygamous marriage. Kagiso says they fought a lot about it but eventually when she introspected, she realised that she never lacked any love even after her husband opened up about a second wife. In total, it took over five years for her to come around. Mpho also admitted that it was not easy from the beginning. She said that none of them ever imagined this set-up. She pointed out that her sister wife prayed a lot about this, and that since Sekati is a Pastor, he encouraged them to pray.
“I prayed that if this is meant to be, let it be. We had our differences and fights with Kagiso until a point where one could not fight anymore and leave everything to God.
“And everything became clear with regards to the direction that we would take even though we did not have support from friends and family. We were forced to become each other’s support, and we managed,” she said.
One of the questions which they will not answer is their living arrangements, and they say that there is a reason for that. The production was shot by Rich Boi Film studios, and as they have started shooting for Season 2, they are looking for sponsors and partners to come on board.