14 Dec 2020

Jwaneng mayor Ms Olga Ditsie says Gender-Based Violence(GBV) is a complex issue that needs collective responsibility from all stakeholders.

 Speaking during a GBV round table discussion organised by Revelation Times Ministries International church in Jwaneng on Saturday, Ms Ditsie underscored the need to be cautious when addressing GBV issues to avoid hurting feelings further.

“GBV is a sensitive issue which needs to be addressed with sober minds and hearts to avoid hurting other people because the main objective is to find solutions to this monster,” she said.

 She implored people to take responsibility and play their roles to augment the government’s efforts towards fighting GBV. 

She noted that even though government was making strides in prioritising the fight against GBV, citing the establishment of specialised courts to expedite GBV cases, he said the fight had to start with the perpetrators.

Ms Ditsie commended Revelation Times Ministries International church for coming up with an initiative that provided a platform for speaking up and letting the church’s voice be heard.

She said this was an indication that the church was claiming its position in society as a reference for morality and behavioural change.

Contributing to the debate, Jwaneng/Mabutsane MP,Mr Mephato Reatile noted the need to sensitise women more saying they were enablers and had the potential to turn the tide. 

  He urged women to desist from protecting their relationships at the expense of the girl-child who ended up on the receiving end of GBV. 

He said the legislation would not adequately address GBV if communities did not unite in one common purpose.

 Furthermore, Mr Reatile noted that even though the recently introduced sex offenders’ law was a welcome development in the wake of rising numbers of GBV across the country, it was only targeting perpetrators and leaving out enablers.

“I believe the sex offenders register should also include people who sweep GBV under the carpet thereby enabling these perpetrators,” he said.

For his part, Jwaneng Men Sector chairperson Mr Jonathan Tebogo said there was need for spiritual intervention and mindset change to restore the family unit. 

He noted that the recent COVID-19 lockdown was a blessing in disguise as a lot of issues were exposed.

“The lockdown helped in a way because it revealed a lot of anomalies within families. Many GBV cases were exposed during that time,” he said.

He called on men in Jwaneng to help re-build and claim the position of Men Sector to fight GBV with similar strategies that were deployed for HIV/AIDS. 

When giving an overview, Pastor Philemon Ramono of Revelation Times Ministries International church said the discussion was done to create a platform for various stakeholders to engage on issues surrounding GBV such as causes, constraints and solutions.

He said even though the church had existing structures for counselling and moral support, they were open to other strategies that could help men and women co-exist peacefully in society.

“There are many structures and stakeholders involved in the fight against GBV but if we don’t come together then our efforts will be in vain,” he noted.  Ends