By Mohalenyane Phakela
MAFETENG — Sesotho Media and Development trainee Mohapi Moshesha said abuse can lead to the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Addressing Malealea community during the screening of a film in Mafeteng on Monday, Moshesha said those being abused in the communities are not aware of the situation.
“There are so many people from Lesotho who migrate to South Africa to work in the mines. They tend to forget about their families and create new ones once they reach SA, making them not to come home or do so after a number of years,” he said.
SM&D’s facilitator Bohlale Sentšo said people are reluctant to use condoms yet they have multiple sexual partners. “Fearing the aftermath of the consequences, they do not want to get tested,” he said.
He said people need to stop blaming alcohol and blame shifting, adding that couples need to be open with each other to avoid unnecessary problems.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Councillor Manyaneso Taole said: “The screening will help us view such problems within our community on a different perspective.
“We have committees that address such issues although they have become dormant but we promise to revive them.
“We are very much grateful for SM&D’s initiative, we promise to be the change that we want to see throughout our village.”
SM&D documentary A Miner’s Tale, traces a life of a miner from Mozambique working in one of South African mines. Having grown up under extreme poverty, he forgets about his wife and son once he starts earning money in SA.
He then marries another woman whom he lives with in SA. He becomes an alcoholic and womaniser, leading to his infection with HIV. He then feels as if the whole world was against him and decides to go back home in Mozambique.
Although the family forgives him, the elders still expect him to give his wife more children as a husband. How does he do that with his HIV status? He struggles to solve this dilemma.
The villagers of Malealea agreed to the existence of such problems within their society. The only good thing is he was man enough to face his problems and disclose his HIV status to the family”; these are some of the remarks that were made by the community members.
