A South African single mother battled financial hardship to raise her daughter after her ex-husband refused to help them. However, Omontle Thato Moremong refused to be defined by struggle, and even though she endured a lengthy court battle, she overcame the hardships Building her own path as an entrepreneur and motivational speaker, she now empowers other women and inspires them with her story of resilience.
With her ex-partner, a man earning R80,000 (about KSh 618,800) per month who was not willing to help, Omontle Thato Moremong faced gruelling court battles and heartbreak. Moremong shared to a South African news website Briefly News, her past struggles and journey back to reclaiming her power as an independent woman, entrepreneur, and the best mother to her daughter.
Moremong, who hails from the North West, lost her parents at the age of 12, forcing her to become a child-parent to her younger sister, who was only six years old at the time.
Always driven to succeed, she made the most of life with the cards she’d been dealt, finished school, and went on to study at the University of Johannesburg. There, she obtained her degree in record time while working odd jobs to help care for herself and her needs.
Excited and hopeful to start her new life, armed with her degree, Moremong soon found herself pregnant by a partner who became resistant to supporting her during the pregnancy and being a present father to their child.
“Despite having a good relationship for five years prior to having a child and him actually wanting me to fall pregnant, things changed as soon as I did. He became someone I didn’t know. It really used to hurt me”.
“I tried to co-parent with him, but he was very resistant to that. He turned on me and had no interest in our daughter even when she was born. I at least thought with him working a good job, I wouldn’t have to struggle financially, and I thought he’d also be there for the child even if we were not together, shared Omontle, who also found out that her now-ex had other children outside of their relationship”.
“It was so emotionally draining. There was a lot of back and forth with the various processes and requirements. From taking statements, files disappearing, the legal officials struggling to get hold of the father of the child and him not attending court hearings, court date changes – it was hard.
“I didn’t have money and therefore didn’t have a lawyer to speed up the process. The entire experience was emotionally draining, and at some point, I was forced to go to my ex’s workplace in a police van just try to get him to attend court so he could support his child,” shared Omontle who doesn’t believe that the South African court system does not work in favour to effectively support many struggling single mothers.