Strong-willed DT talks about prison life
Sharon Mathala | Friday January 8, 2016 12:50
A once band member and lead singer one of the best traditional groups of all time, Matsieng of Tinto fame, DT is a free man. He was released from prison on December 23, a day before his birthday he says. Leero was sentenced to six years imprisonment for rape back in 2011.
As widely reported Leero was convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl. When Arts & Culture caught up with him, clad in his sdori and casual wear, the Selokolela-born artist said: “I will not sit here and defend what I did or didn’t do. I am still not ready for that, but what I can say is yes I knew the girl. I used to rent at her uncle’s place in Gabane, back then.”
When quizzed on the reports on whether the mother of the girl had wanted money from him and in return drop charges, DT clarified, ”I do not want to say much about that issue. I was reported to the police; days later when she (the mother) tried to drop the case, the police threatened that if she dropped the case they will then charge her with suspicion that she had been apparently bribed either by me or one of my associates to drop the case. That’s as far as I know, frankly.”
DT, who promised that he will go into detail once he has settled also told Arts & Culture that, “the mother, who sent me to jail, was also later jailed. That is when I was able, still in prison, to meet up with her (the woman said to have been raped) and we reconciled. I hear she is somewhere around living with her four children. I have not seen her though.”
A year before going to prison in 2010 however, DT released a song known as Thagadima but is titled Ramaretedi which basically sums up his ordeal. In the songs he says “mogopo o ke wa batsadi, hee keo ngathile ke sa itse. Kere ke tabola gore kome, ditaola ga dia bolela banna wee, mogopo oo ke wa bagolo, ke o tabotse ke saitse, ke saitse ke dira phoso.”
“A lekwane ke ja lekgela, nteboko ke ja lekgela, lekgela le le lagoto nna we, hee nntseana ga se lekgela nnawe, erile re le motseleng, ke na le mmata ko letsomo, diphuduhutswana tsa tsoga, ya tswa le yame e thokwana nnawe, hee ka tswara ele khunwana, hee ntseana gae potlana, lobelo lwa yone logolo, ke e thswaretse kgakala, e digile sechane, erile go tsena lapa, ke itapolosa ke e bua, ka e apola letlalo, kae kgaola mohama,” he says in his lyrics.
DT also said, “in life you do something in the heat of the moment, not knowing what will happen after. Sometimes you do things not knowing who it will affect and how. I got into the music industry at a young age.”
During the interview however, DT was not shy to mention his disappointment. He said Batswana and his so-called followers were not there for him and did not support him.
“Ke ithutile thata. I had to do it for myself. I had to believe that I can do it. I went into that prison with a lot of anger. I met different characters in there, but I chose to remain strong. I worked hard, continued composing and writing songs which I will release soon.”
“I always believed I will be out before my time, but I did not know it will be this soon. I was playing football with some of the guys and one of the officers came to call me. I did not respond because I was concentrating on the match. When the game was done the officer-in-charge came directly and told me that I will be sleeping in my bed that day. I did not believe it,” explained DT.
DT has been in studio and is set to host his welcome back festival very soon. His upcoming album titled Magana-mokgwa has eight tracks. Once settled, DT promised to give a detailed report next week to Arts & Culture, as well his future plans in music.