21 Jun 2020

First Lady Neo Masisi says nothing justifies violence against children.

“We do not need to cite the statistics at this point but we all know what has been happening during the COVID-19 period. We have seen ugly numbers on the increase,” Ms Masisi said in a keynote address at a stakeholder dialogue forum in Gaborone on June 20.

Ms Masisi said Day of the African Child was a reminder of how valuable children were ‘yet so vulnerable’.

In 1991, she said the assembly of Heads of State and Government of the then OAU instituted Day of the African Child in memory of June 16, 1976 student uprising in South Africa.

Therefore, the day served to commemorate those children and the brave action they took in defending their rights.

She indicated that the day celebrated the children of Africa and also called for solemn introspection and commitment towards addressing numerous challenges facing children across the continent.

The First Lady said reflection, therefore, provided an opportunity to examine how such efforts could be enhanced.

Furthermore, Ms Masisi said this year’s theme: Access to Child-Friendly Justice in Africa, was set to underscore challenges faced by children in Africa.

She said it emphasised the importance of facilitating access to child friendly justice as the foundation of respect of all rights guaranteed by the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

“As a signatory to the key instruments that protect the rights of children being United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the country enacted laws in alignment to ensure relevance and responsiveness to the needs of children as they emerge. Such laws continue to be reviewed, along with processes involved in the child justice system,” she said.

Ms Masisi said while it was important to maintain good and protective cultural practices, it was time to do away with practices that compromised children’s welfare.

“The practice of mediation at home for some of the most serious offenses against children such as rape and incest is one of the common violations against children in Botswana and it is worrying that cases continue to be withdrawn before perpetrators are prosecuted,” she said.

Nonetheless, she indicated that some progress was being made since parents and guardians were counselled against such.

Ms Masisi said Botswana had taken a stand to ratify the Hague Conventions on Inter Country Child Protection and that proved to be a milestone that would address impediments of follow up, repatriation, enforcement of inter-country maintenance as well as protection of minors in situations of disadvantage.

Moreover, she appealed to the Motswana child to acquaint themselves with provisions that protected their rights such as the Children’s Act of 2009 and all other avenues meant to protect children’s rights.

Ms Masisi further implored to stakeholders, service providers, parents, traditional and religious leadership to ensure play their part in ensuring that children’s rights in contact with the law were protected.

“Let us all ensure we provide the comfortable, child friendly, child sensitive structures that allow justice to prevail in the issues affecting children,” she said.

On one hand, UNICEF representative, Ms Sarah Ng’inja said with COVID-19 leaving many children stuck with their abusers, an already vulnerable group had become even more at risk of suffering violence therefore scaling up efforts to keep children safe must be a priority. ends