05 Aug 2015

Like the prodigal son, David Sekgee, popularly known as Paparampa now has regrets for his wasted youth and wants his own society to accept him back.

“Fa ke le ko Gaborone ga ke tseege sentle, fa ke le mo jarateng e ya ga nkuku ke ikutlwa ke nna sentle ke tsenwa ke phefo,” he speaks of an entirely new environment miles apart from a realm that was to become part of his life when he left his parents three decades ago. 

He sits on the front porch of the meek house trying to catch the first rays of sunshine before breaking the good news.

Paparampa fled his family in the early 80s and found an entirely new world in the streets. 

His new found life in the streets embraced him bitterly, teaching him how to survive and incorporating him into the dysfunctional machine that was street life. 

He has learnt every tactic that the streets had to offer. 

At the end he earned himself the moniker “Kgosi ya bo bashi”.

Today he wakes up in the comfort of his parent’s room and like any other child he is often heard asking his neighbours, “ Heelang! ga le ise le bone ntate a feta jaana go na le baeng ko lapeng?”

Paparampa today does not wait for the bitterly cold morning breeze to wake him to go into the streets guarding people’s vehicles or jostling for a few coins to buy magwinya, something which had become his daily activity. 

Struggling to find a decent meal and a bed to sleep is all in the past for him now. 

Striking a resemblance to the prodigal son in the parable of the lost son, Paparampa has now come to his senses and united with his family. 

In self-effacement, he recognized his imprudence and decided to return to his family and ask for forgiveness and mercy. His father, Olefile Sekgee who has been watching and waiting receives his son back with open arms of compassion.

“ Ke ngwana fela yo o tshotsweng a le boi, o ne a tloga a sia a tswa a ya go nna ko nageng e ke sa e itseng mme ke ne ka tlelwa ke boitlhobogo,” said Sekgee.

His mother passed on when he was only 13 years and was taken under the care of his grandmother. 

He admits to having an unhappy childhood despite the presence of his father who tried real hard to bring food to the table.

Without proper education and relying on menial jobs, his father had a mammoth task of raising his three children single handedly. 

Paparampa left home and was soon swallowed by the alien world into its abnormal, gyrating mill of uncertainty, and as they put it, the rest is history.

Kgosi Raphael Mmipi of Goora Mmipi ward in Metsimotlhabe is equally happy that Paparampa has finally returned home. 

He strongly believes he was one of the victims of the many social ills that can befall any society.

“ Mme ga se gore re kile ra mo latlha ka lepe letsatsi, le ha a ntse a le ko Gaborone e ne e ntse e le ngwana wa rona,” the soft spoken chief lamented.

As we take a walk around Goora Mmipi kgotla everyone seems overjoyed by the return of the son of the soil and even the young children call him by a plethora of names such as Rambo Stallone, Paparampa 307 amongst others.

Now 39 years old, Paparampa prays for good health so that he visits the National Stadium to watch his favorite team Township Rollers. Ends