13 Feb 2019

The author of Sweet Marriages, Edwin Phalane has been hailed for his efforts to penetrate the art and creative industry despite his disability.

The 39-year-old Phalane, who is also the chairperson of Ngami Voices for People Living with Disability (PLWD), is confined to a wheelchair after a pool accident in 1992 at the age of 12

Despite his status, the vibrant young man who has been driving his passion of writing books, launched his second edition.

All thanks went to the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development and the Maun business community for ensuring that his dream becomes a reality.

Different speakers who graced his book launch hailed him for a job well done, noting that he had defied the odds and showed that ‘disability is not inability.’

They said he was an inspiration to many young people as he did not let his status deter his capabilities.

On behalf of the PLWD chairperson in the district, Kgoreletso Bikitshane described Phalane as an intelligent, gifted, focused man, team player and hard-working man with clear vision.

She said he had written and published informative books where he shared life changing messages with members of the community. An official from the district youth office in Maun, Thelma Chaya commended Phalane for a job well done, noting that he benefited from the grants offered by the ministry.

The ministry, she said, was devoted to nurture talent as demonstrated by Phalane, adding that they found it necessary to give grants to arts and culture practitioners for projects and programmes in areas such as production and recording, capacity building, printing and publishing literature amongst others.

Through the grant, Phalane was assisted to publish and duplicate the book, and she believed the community would find his creative writing skills fascinating and inspirational.

Furthermore, Chaya noted that the arts and creative industry has untapped potential towards the economic development of the North West District and the country at large, adding that the industry was an economic driver in communities fostering sustainable livelihoods.

Phalane said his book was published last August and he described it as a love present to Batswana, as it was launched in the month of February which is a month of love and Valentine.

The book carries a message about the management of both social and religious marriages. It educates married couples or those inspiring to marry on how to conduct their marriage lifestyle, and to cease infidelity tactics that barricade the sweetness and happiness of marriage.

He explained that he published the book because he was disturbed by ill-relationships in society. Phalane revealed that infidelities had tormented most relationships and believes his book will be a remedy.

“We are living in the world dominated by divorces and gender empowerment instead of living in sweet relationships and marriages, and too much interference by the in-laws in marriages has instigated separation or divorce of partners and it annoys,” he added.

Secrets and lies, he said, did not work in love affairs but instead caused grievances in relationships, adding that people must enjoy their relationship without fear of lack of trust.

ENDS