Charlotte Mokoena is a powerhouse. Not only is she the Executive Vice-President for Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Sasol, she is also the mother of one of Africa’s most successful TV personalities, Bonang Matheba.
Mrs Mokoena was recently interviewed by Kaya FM’s Mapaseka Mokoena on her #BlackGirlMagic feature, where she spoke about her life. She chatted about her childhood, work, family and raising her children. As you know, Bonang has tons of fans around the continent. However, there are also those who’re on the negative side.
Speaking about how she feels about the negativity that sometimes surrounds her daughter, Mrs Mokoena said:
“It’s the same as when your child is bullied at school. It’s the same pain. It’s very hard... The only thing about having a child go through that is that now more people know, but the pain is the same as when your child suffers alone in a playground and comes home and says, ‘I don’t wanna go to school tomorrow’. It’s the same pain. Because parents of bullied children have pain, whether the child is six, 16 or 26.”
Mapaseka then asked what happens when she sees that her child is about to make a mistake. “The most important thing is that she knows if it hurts I’m going home. Going back to parenting a child that everybody is watching; remind her that she doesn’t have to listen to everybody. And people that have opinions about other people, they are safe in their anonymity…”
Charlotte also added that you teach your child that people that are pulling you down are people that feel down already.
“People give what they have – if they have hatred, that's what they give you, if they have love, that’s what they give you, if they have encouragement, that’s what they give you. If they want the best for you, that’s what they give you, if they pray, that’s what they give you. And if they are bitter, that’s what they give you. So, don’t join bitter people, ignore them. You decide who you’re gonna listen to, it is a subjective selection of feedback…”
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