16 Aug 2022

Moot court should be inculcated amongst students, as it has the potential to carve their career path, according to the Member of Parliament for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe.

Speaking during the Lucara-sponsored moot court and public speaking session on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Letlhakane over the weekend, Mr Lelatisitswe said students should be equipped with such skills as they could guide on which careers to choose.

He said the initiative was an investment, whose benefits would be enjoyed in the future. He said it was really touching to watch children deliberate on GBV issues, adding that they displayed vast knowledge and confidence.

Mr Lelatisitswe, who is also assistant minister of health, said that the moot court had equipped the learners with more knowledge on GBV and the laws of Botswana, as they also needed to defend themselves from GBV.

He said the students also revealed a lot of issues such as how some cultural practices or beliefs concealed a lot of issues on GBV.

Lucara’s Safety, Health, Environment and Community Relations Manager, Ms Kesego Kereemang, said many times, children were forgotten when dealing with GBV issues, hence the initiative, whose aim was to rope them in.

Ms Kereemang said all facets of GBV must be addressed if this social ill was to be eradicated, stressing the need to focus on preventative measures.

A learner from Letlhakane’s Ditsweletse Junior Secondary School, Ms Olorato Laetsang, said they had learnt that it was important for one have self-confidence when deliberating on issues.

She said it also exposed them to how the laws of the country worked and on what one needed to protect themselves from being a GBV victim.

Ms Monica Molapisi, a teacher at Motsumi Junior Secondary School in Letlhakane said the moot court, which was introduced in 2021, was an eye opener for the learners.

She said they gained different skills such as on how to interact and conduct research, among others.

It seemed to be a Letlhakane day as Ditsweletse Junior Secondary School scooped position one followed by Motsumi Junior Secondary School. Other participating junior secondary schools were Orapa, Makgadikgadi from Mosu, Motopi, Rakops and Makalamabedi. ENDS