06 Dec 2017

The director of Transport  and Telecommunications at Botswana Police Services,  Senior   Assistant  Commissioner, Maloti Segola says anger causes  violence among all sexes.

Speaking during the launch of  16 day of activism against gender based violence in Lobatse,   Senior   Assistant   Commissioner   Segola said anger was the worst form of sickness, and that nothing destroyed a person’s life like anger.

She said anger damages families, finances, health, happiness, relationships, marriages and almost everything, describing it as a trap of the devil. She noted that with anger people lost everything even what they   treasured or valued. She added that making conclusions based on anger made on bitter and that it robbed one of everything.

Senior  Assistant Commissioner   Segola said gender based violence whether physical, sexual, emotional or economic was recognised globally as one of the most widespread and persistent human rights violations amongst women and girls.

She said the theme emphasised the need for peaceful and violence free world conducive for safe education and learning to all, adding that it was upon all  people present to make that happen.

 She said it could be achieved through joint efforts by government, parastatals  and  civil society and at the community at large, families and individuals.

She also stressed that whilst focusing on education as a means of empowering females with knowledge and skills to equip them with gender based violence   related information.

Senior   Assistant   Commissioner   Segola   said   gender based violence was gradually encroaching into the education system, especially  in learning institutions such as schools, and that as such could create barrier in access to education.

She said despite progress over the years in promoting access to basic education for all, girls were still vulnerable in schools, and that the most common type of violence being raping, defilement as well as indecent assaults.

She noted that gender based violence had become the order of the day, and that over the years they continued to record incidents of GBV including among others, murder, threat to kill, rape, defilement of persons under 16 years to mention a few.

Senior Assistant   Commissioner   Segola   said   defilement was a   criminal offence under the penal code and that such acts in some   instances resulted in teenage pregnancy.

She said education was the journey towards gender equality and  the empowerment of  women    and  girls. She added that everyone had the responsibility    of ensuring that children were safe from violence both at home, public spaces as well as learning institutions at all levels.

Lobatse District Health Team    head of department, Ms Tilwane  Mokgatle said violence was made by two people, and that these days  children were  the most  affected.ENDS