11 Jan 2015

Being met by what seems like a romantic passionate kiss between two people of the opposite sex, in the centre of a shopping mall, is a sight that not only mesmerizes the on-looker but triggers one to wonder if that is not some form of public indecency.

What really prompts the action and what usually is the ultimate goal for the couple in question and what about the resulting exasperation of onlookers?

A 24-year-old woman who resides in Francistown, Ms Chandapiwa Butale opined in an interview that being affectionate in public is a way to show that one is proud of their partner and that there is no other person than that particular individual.

She said she is not at all embarrassed to be seen kissing or holding hands in public because that signifies the importance of each individual in the relationship.

“I do not usually worry much about who sees me being affectionate in public, after all, the person is my other half and I am proud of him,” she said.

Ms Butale said she would be concerned if her partner was reluctant to do the same because to her that would mean he is afraid to be seen with her.

Mr Kago Mpuang, a 27-year-old man shares the same sentiments, noting that when a couple is affectionate, it is a sign of deep love and showing that one is in a settled relationship.

“I always hold my other half’s hand when walking in public and for me it is something that just comes naturally and I do not necessarily do it for another individual to see but it is for me,” he said.

He added that the public display of affection bonds the couple in question because it makes each individual secure in the relationship.

Furthermore, Mr Mpuang said there is nothing that beats a woman who feels secure in a relationship.

“That kind of woman is happy and it is definitely the kind of woman a man would want to be with,” he said.

Even though there are many positives to the effects of public display of affection, there are those individuals who sincerely believe that doing that oozes a sense of disrespect.

Ms Onalethata Keobone, a 43-year-old woman is one such individual, who gets disturbed at a sight of public display of affection.

According to her, the whole thing brings about embarrassment to the on-lookers, more especially when the couple in question decides to kiss to a point where one would feel prompted to remind them that “they are not in a bedroom.”

“For some people, it is just a subtle act of holding hands, which is not bad, but for some they get too romantic, forgetting that we have elders around.” She said.

Most elders seem to be totally against the public display of affection and one such is Ms Maria Mothibedi, a 58-year-old woman.

According to her, some romantic actions should be saved for the bedroom, adding that when people become too affectionate in public, it somehow affects the dignity of their relationship.

Ms Mothibedi said people are bound to know when things are good between them and when they are not.

“People who act that way can be read easily because when things are not well between them, then everyone is able to detect that and that lowers their dignity,” she said.

Furthermore, she said it becomes indecent in the eye of the public in a conservative society as Batswana, especially when it is done in front of the elders. ENDS