07 Sep 2023

The community needs to have a helping hand to efficiently deal with the social ills, says the District Commissioner of Francistown, Ms Chabongwa Matseka.

She said this during a stakeholders engagement meeting held at Ntshe House on Tuesday where different stakeholders among them; the Botswana Police Service , Botswana Prison Service, City of Francistown Council, Magistrate’s Court, High Court, Tribal Administration, Legal Aid Botswana, Botswana Red Cross Society, BONELA, BONEPWA, Minister’s Fraternal, Botswana Gender Based Violence Prevention & Support Centre  and the Botswana Defence Force .

The meeting was held to discuss different social ills affecting Francistown dwellers with a view to coming up with plausible solutions.

Ms Matseka stated that her office was inundated with high number of marital disputes saying she spent  most time providing counselling married couples.

“We note with concern a total number of 312 marital disputes from  April 1 to 31st August 2023”, she said.

Senior Superintendent, Paul Molapisi of Kutlwano Police Station stated with concern that families allow their children to marry prematurely.

Another concern, he raised was that elders had abondoned the cultural practice where young couples were orientated on various responsibilities before tying the knot.

Deviation from this practice, he said contributed marital challenges as well as an increase in the number of gender based violence (GBV) cases and divorce cases.

“Nyalo e tshwanetse go simolola kwa lwapeng”, said Senior Superintendent Molapisi, which loosely translates that marriage should start at home.

He urged parents to desist from leaving everything in the hands of the government.

On the other hand, District Register of the Civil and National Register, Mr Oarabile Gaborone noted with concern that there is a high number home deliveries instead of hospitals.

“If that is the case, those children born at home should be taken to hospitals as soon as possible for purposes of medical attention and proper documentation ”, he said.

Kgosi Gunny Moses of Phase IV advised that just like in the past, communities should have a book where community leaders record the births and deaths of people within their communities..

He further stated that this would be very helpful in aiding  documentation, as there are certain tribes twho prefer not to go to the hospitals.ENDS