Many members of the community of Lebowakgomo came face to face with a creature several times and even though it was just a python they couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t leave the community because there is too much noise and its habitat was in the bush.
Many learners at Lafata Primary saw it very often and they thought it came from the bushes because there are bushes near the school. Parents started worrying about the safety of their children and they alerted the police about the creature but whenever the police came it was nowhere to be found. They then told the children to stay away from it once they see it and they must walk in groups on their way home just to be safe.
What puzzled many was the fact that the snake wouldn’t go away, and it seemed very used to people because it behaved normally towards people instead of gliding away when a person approached it. It didn’t go to their yards or go up their trees, but it was always seen in the community and that made the community members feel uncomfortable.
Finally, community members called a meeting to discuss the snake because even though they tried to chase it away it always came back. They decided to call the SPCA to come and take it to the zoo or somewhere else but whenever they came the snake was nowhere to be found, it was like it knew that they were going to come. It didn’t hurt even one person but people were no longer free because they always thought about what it could do to them if they stepped on it at night or their young children when they return from school.
“I don’t know why it roams around our steers because there are no rats or small animals here and there is no place where it can hide and that is why it can’t hide, I don’t understand why it’s still here, if I was a man I would have taken it to the bush and left it there because its where it belongs not here with us” said one woman who didn’t want to be named
“That snake is a Mamlambo, it can’t be that comfortable around people because human and snakes are enemies not friends and snakes know that, that is why they always try to escape when they see us” said another woman Kedibone
One night after getting off a taxi, a woman and her daughter nearly stepped on it and they screamed then it quickly glided into the bushes. The community members then decided to hold another meeting to get rid of it, the final decision they took was that men who have guns must search for it and shoot it when they find it. The men came forward, teamed up and as they were about to go and look for it a woman in the crowd started speaking.
“You must leave the snake alone because it doesn’t hurt anyone the only thing it does is take my children to school and guard them, it doesn’t bite anyone or squeeze them because its not here to hurt anyone so its better you leave it alone or the entire community will pay a heavy price if you try to kill it”.
After the incident the snake wasn’t seen again and its probably because it became invisible or maybe it stopped escorting the woman s children to school.