10 Jul 2023

Wife of Kgosi  Puso of Batlokwa, Ms Thandie Gaborone has urged parents to develop strong ties with their children and openly discuss social ills.

“For us to be able to address and end issues of gender-based violence (GBV) it starts with one taking responsibility to come forth and report the abuse because failure to report abuse means abuse will continue to grow”, she said during the launch of anti-GBV project organised by Masetlheng Ward Village Development Committee in Tlokweng recently.

The project is geared towards raising awareness on GBV, child negligence and care in the area as well as mobilising stakeholders to join hands in addressing the challenges.

She noted that alcohol and illicit substance abuse and child negligence were growing concern among young people in Tlokweng and had led to an array of health and social related problems.

Mohumagadi Gaborone said rampant drug abuse resulted in truancy among school-going youth and cautioned adults who were said to be selling drugs to desist from such as it destroyed  children’s lives.

Masetlheng VDC chairperson Mr Motsholathebe Kgori said illegal alcohol depots in the village also contributed to the concerns raised.

Ms Phelelo Moswetsi from the Botswana Gender Based Violence Prevention and Counselling Centre said drug and alcohol abuse contributed to GBV.

She noted that abuse was a pandemic weighing not only on the lives of victims but also on the lives of perpetrators.

She stated that Botswana National Relationship study showed that one in three women experienced GBV in their lifetime compared to their male counterparts.

She said there was high prevalence of emotional abuse as compared to other forms of abuse.  ENDS