Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Social

While some people are too quick to resign themselves to fate when things do not work out for them, for David Tshenyego or Daylor as his grandmother loves to call him, there is no reason to give up on life as long as one is breathing.

As his mother warmly asks him to plug in an electric kettle for her, it is clear that no amount of suffering can break this man. Similarly, it becomes apparent that only people who tend to dwell on the darker side of life give up on life too soon when things go awry. Since Tshenyego suffered a disfigured face following a botched surgery more than four decades ago, he still goes on with life as if nothing is wrong.

With his condition, some researchers had even concluded that it would be by a twist of luck that he would survive beyond the age of 40. On the other hand, it was also believed that his life would begin at 40 provided he got healed. By contrast, who knew that Nelson Mandela would one day be in South Africa’s highest office given his long prison term? With his simply daring character, he managed to survive 27 years of prison agony. Former senator, and now American President, Barack Obama gives testimony in his book, The Audacity of Hope, that only those with courage and dare to hope can beat the odds.

Perhaps it is against the backdrop of such tales that Tshenyego carries the hope of a human spirit’s triumph over adversity. “I am appealing to the public to keep donating to my fund for my medical costs,” he says about a fund some Mahalapye residents set up to cover his medical expenses. Tshenyego, who always looks positive despite his seemingly deteriorating condition, says he is not taking any medication at the moment save for a medical checkup at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone in 2005. This is despite the fact that of late he has started developing protrusions all over his body. Worse still, his face continues to deteriorate as he says he sometimes experiences excruciating pain.

Meantime, with no medication, his family has become the only thing to soothe his pains. “I am happy here, even my friends still love me and I normally visit them,” explains Daylor as her aunt urges him to raise his voice. Before Tshenyego leaves for his room, he reveals that a Good Samaritan built the tow-roomed house we sit next to during our interview.  Since the house is neither electrified nor connected to running water, he is quick to send an appeal to the benign hearted to help him. His aunt, Jacqueline Ramatswidi, chips in to explain that Tshenyego first got help for his condition at Baragwanath Hospital in South Africa and was later admitted at Princess Marina Hospital. Ramatswidi says her nephew has been suffering the disfigurement for over 40 years.  She says she is now worried because he has started developing lumps whose cause she fails to understand.

A doctor that can rescue Tshenyego has not yet been identified and his aunt explains that only after enough funds have been secured will they be able to approach relevant authorities to go shopping for an appropriate doctor. She says the family was hopeful that Tshenyego would get help when some people took him photos promising to send them to Canada to raise awareness and ultimately get medical assistance. However, until today the family is still waiting in vain, she says, adding that notwithstanding, Tshenyego is treated like any other child in the household, which keeps him hopeful that one day he will be healed.

Incidentally, his younger sister, Mogomotsi Ramatswidi, is not happy that some unscrupulous individuals are using his brother’s photos and name for personal gain. “Some people came here in 1999 and took him photos with a promise to seek medical help for him from Canada,” she recalls. Ramatswidi says they later returned and built him a room but would not explain whether they used their own money hence the family is still in dark as to how the funds were sourced. Also, Morupule Coal Mine is yet to hand the family the P25 000 raised through a cycling event towards Tshenyego’s fund last December. Mogomotsi says the family only learnt from the media that the cheque was handed over to someone without a family representative.

She laments that his brother is so desperate to an extent that he allows any stranger to take him photos hoping for assistance. Morupule Coal Mine public relations officer, Kemorwale Moruntshi, cleared the mist surrounding the donation.  He says they raised P25 000 in December last year, the idea being to transfer the money to the fund later. Readily admitting that there was poor communication between his company and Tshenyego’s family, he promised to contact the family to iron out the problem. “The delay to transfer the money was as a result of the fund not being registered and we wanted funds to be transferred directly into the beneficiary’s account,” explains Moruntshi.

Mahalapye Sub-district public relations officer, Phatsimo Batshogile, says the fund was established last December to cover Tshenyego’s medical expenses. Batshogile says the fund currently has P23 650 and Kutlwano also learnt that Morupule Coal Mine indeed made the P25 000 transaction towards the fund in May this year. Meanwhile, Tshenyego is a beneficiary of government’s social welfare programme and he receives a food basket and cash component on a monthly basis as well as support and counselling. “With the fund raising initiative we remain hopeful that he would finally get medical assistance, and pray people will not be unscrupulous as to use his name for personal gain,” says Batshogile. ENDS

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