Speaking at a four-day leadership workshop last week, conducted by Botswana Community Based Organization Network (BOCOBONET) for all village committees, the participants said too much belief in witchcraft contributed to poor performance within the village committees.
The participants, comprising the Village Health Committee (VHC), Home Based Care organisations, members of the Village Development Committee (VDC), Board of Governors of the school and the school’s Parents Teachers Association (PTA) revealed that even when something is wrong in the village committees, no one complains. They criticised members of the VDC for dominating every committee in the village, citing that some long-serving members personalize everything. The participants said some VDC members were feared such that no one dares complain when they do wrong.
Although they also revealed their ignorance as to what powers they have as members in their respective committees, most participants said they have been silent because of their fear of witchcraft.
Abel Mabei a facilitator from BOCOBONET, told the participants to be vigilant, ignore witchcraft and always elect responsible committee members. Mabei said it was high time people learnt that witchcraft does not exist. He warned that if witchcraft beliefs’ overpower their thinking the village would lag behind in development projects. He told the participants that a committee must not sit in office for a long time since it risks becoming redundant. He said a committee must only sit for one term then a new one should be elected. “VDC committees should be elected annually so that people don’t occupy the same position for long. People should do their part and then go while those who elected them still love them. If they stay long, then you start to see their wrong doings and that’s when fear is initiated,” he said pointing out that some members were power hungry such that they would do anything to get re-elected. “Even witchcraft can be used as a tool depending on people’s beliefs,” he said.
Mabei said all members in the committee should know that they have the same powers as the chairman and are allowed to challenge him or her. The facilitator said that the chairman is a leader and was not supposed to be feared. “You should not treat your leader like a god. The leader is your mouthpiece and should not be feared. If fear rules, you will be oppressed by power hungry people,” he said, adding that things are stolen in community projects and people keep quiet out of fear. He said leaders enslave others and personalize organizations by threatening or dividing people through fear and people choose to keep quite hence the whole system collapses.
The organiser of the workshop, Johana Morwe said she called for the workshop after she realised that there was a lack of communication and lack of harmony between the village committees. Morwe, a principal welfare educator in the northeast district - under non-formal education - said the workshop was initially meant to be non-formal, but she later decided to include all the committees in the village.
“There is a big problem in this village. People live in fear and there is no progress in any of the committees,” said Morwe, who hoped that the workshop would serve as an eye opener for the residents.
Morwe said the village needed a strong VDC with a good working relationship to run village developments.
She revealed that she chose Matshelagabedi because it had a hall, with a conference centre, kitchen, library, and a computer, which it received under the drought relief programme. She said looking at the poor working relationships and the type of leadership in the village, the structure would just be a white elephant. “Plans will be made to connect the computer to the internet for usage by the residents.
“Matshelagabedi people are willing to work and participate in development projects but the leadership is always out to sabotage everything,” she said.
