Articles labeled: south africa

We think we might have drawn the line at, oh, one snake in our son’s room. But “Snake Boy” Bokamosho Nthelang, a 15-year-old in South Africa, has turned his bedroom into a snake sanctuary housing 150 of the slithering reptiles, several of which are poisonous. And wouldn’t you know it, Nthelang keeps getting bitten by them:

He has been bitten twice before, once by a cobra and once by a puffadder.

After the previous two incidents all the dangerous snakes were removed from his house by the department of environment and conservation.

Last week Nthelang, from Mothibistad near Kuruman, was admitted to Kimberley Medi-Clinic after he was bitten by yet another lethal snake.

Spokesperson for the ministry of environment and conservation, Les Abrahams, said that during a previous visit to the boy’s home, they found that the youngster was fascinated by the reptiles.

“We will consider giving him formal training in snake handling in the future. However, no permission has been given to him to keep all the snakes.”

After accusations of abuse at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa, Oprah is attempting to maintain her living legacy by “cleaning house”, replacing all of the dorm parents effective immediately:

“We are removing the dorm parents, and as I have said to the girls, (we are) cleaning house from top to bottom,” she said in a video news conference from Chicago.

“It has shaken me to my core,” said Winfrey, who has herself told of suffering sexual abuse as a child and offered advice to other victims.

Former dormitory matron Virginia Mokgobo, 27, was arrested on Thursday on charges including assault, indecent assault and soliciting under-age girls to perform indecent acts.