Here we are again!

The Monitor Editor | Tuesday February 15, 2022 12:19

Just last week, several cases were reported, which included a soldier who murdered his wife and wounded his nephew, before taking his own life. Another incident involves a woman who is suspected to have killed her husband and one other incident in which a married man assaulted his girlfriend before hanging himself allegedly out of fear he may have killed the other woman. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are many more such cases.

We call on our government and all stakeholders to brainstorm on what can be done to curb these killings, which are now becoming a scourge. Families are mourning every week, owing to such killings, and children are left orphaned. Where did we go wrong! When did we become a violent people? According to our culture, ntwa kgolo ke ya molomo! Let's seek help when we find ourselves overwhelmed by our emotions. Yes, as Batswana we have never really placed counselling as an important part of wellbeing, but counselling is a very important part of every individual’s life.

Challenges we face in our everyday lives are major, and we have to accept that as human beings we do not have the same coping mechanisms and when it is time to seek help from elsewhere, let us do it without any hesitation.

Sadly some of these killings are done right in the presence of children, and these children in most cases do not get professional counselling for their traumatic experiences.

Parents have a responsibility to jealously guard the safety of their children, and also to make sure that all their needs are catered for, but what of a father or mother who decides to kill his or her spouse and leave the children without a beloved parent? The selfish act of taking the life of the children’s mother (which is more pervasive in our society if not the world) and also taking yours, is not the way. How in the world through it all couldn’t you think of the children as your priority? Let's find ways of dealing with our emotions and form trustworthy networks that will give support to both male and females in the fight against gender-based violence. Young adults are perishing at the hands of their intimate partners leaving children without parents.

Together we can fight to stop these killings. Even as families, let us be our brother’s or sister's keepers because once we do that we will be able to see a change in them and encourage them to seek help to save lives, families and create a healthy unit for the children – the future.