15 Apr 2019

 Bangwato regent, Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane says it is critical for the nation to introspect and reflect with regard to social ills afflicting the country.

 He observed that the country had over time witnessed violent actions inflicted mostly on women and girls as well as children in general.

  “We cannot continue to live in a Botswana where women and children are not safe,” he said.

 Kgosi Kgamane was welcoming believers of various denominations who had assembled at the Serowe kgotla to pray against gender based violence perpetrated on women and children recently.

The prayers were organised by Botshabelo ja Setshaba Multi-Sectoral Committee composed church leaders, police, dikgosi, NGOs and Serowe community representatives.

Apart from GBV, diferent pastors prayed against social ills such as rape, road accidents, robbery, natural disasters occurring in neighouring countries and the forthcoming Botswana general elections.

“This therefore challenges all of us to unite as citizens and act against such shocking crimes thereby restoring our status as a moral and tolerant nation,” he said.

He said most shocking were reports of old men raping minors saying that was not only traumatic to the victim but was distressing at national level.

The Bangwato regent challenged churches and individuals to reflect on their identities and where they were heading as a nation.

He urged the believers, who had packed the kgotla to capacity. to remember that as Batswana, “we promote values such as Botho, protection of those that are vulnerable, and above all, would like the world to view us as a united and proud nation”.

Kgosi Kgamane appealed to married couples to avoid violence and using vulgar language in the presence of their children lest they also grew up to be violent.

He said it was unfortunate that men in modern society had turned into monsters who raped even those who looked up to them for protection.

“The perpetrators are cowards, because they lack the courage to plead their case,” he said.

He appealed to the Christian community and the general public to unite and fight all forms of abuse.

Serowe Police station commander, Superintendent Molefe Molefe who is also a member of the Serowe GBV committee, said the objective of the meeting was to assure the nation that the police and government were committed to ending GBV and would continue seeking better ways including strengthening of laws to ensure that victims and their families were granted justice.

He said police wanted to work with dikgosi, community members, churches and other stakeholders to fight the disturbing trend of violence against women and children in Serowe.

Violence, he said, harmed psychologically, physically, spiritually and emotionally leaving permanent emotional scars on victims, their families and comrades.

 It also led to loss of productive time, meaningful contribution and participation in development.

Supt Molefe said the rest of the nation should support government efforts in dealing with GBV at all levels.

“Let us all ensure that we provide safe spaces for our women and girls,” he said adding that the plight of people attacked in their homes and subjected to all forms of abuse could not be ignored.

Such traumatic incidents tarnished the image of the country and disturbed peace, he said.

The police he said have discovered that women and girls were at a greater risk of violence in their homes than anywhere else.

‘’The Christian community must be at the fore as mediators of change by taking part in fighting the evils of abuse and gender based violence,” he said.

Supt. Molefe pleaded with the community to have a personal relationship with God who had the ability to mend characters and broken souls.

“We must therefore as a matter of urgency fight this evil with spiritual weapons,” he said.

On crime statistics, he said in 2017, 15 people were murdered and 13 in 2018 while about 122 cases of rape were reported in 2017 and 139 in 2018.

Supt. Molefe said defilement, incest, unlawful wounding, assault common and insults were also on the rise.ENDS