Men urged to stand against GBV
Pini Bothoko | Monday November 13, 2023 06:00
The country continues to battle against GBV incidences which are currently on the rise. When delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, the President said he was deeply concerned about the trend of GBV, which is mostly directed to women and children by men, who are expected to protect and love them hence urging men to take the lead in ending violence meted out against women and children.
“Let us learn to amicably resolve our differences with our loved ones. The building of police stations or child friendly centres as established in several parts of this country cannot on its own reduce the GBV incidences. To address these issues, we need our culture, our values and faithfulness before God. Re tlhokana le poifo Modimo, we need to fear God,” he said.
Masisi's reign has been overshadowed by a steep rise in GBV cases that include rape, murder, defilement, threat-to-kill to mention but a few. However, Masisi said to further enhance public safety and security, government has embarked on an exercise to amend several laws which among others include the Penal Code to the effect of increasing penalties for offences against morality such as rape, defilement and abduction among others.
He added that the country will be reviewing bail conditions to strike a balance between the rights of the accused, the victim and the witness to address the widespread public concern and outcry that accused persons are granted bail with relative ease.
Masisi applauded law enforcement officers for their tireless efforts to make Botswana safe, stating that the public is witnessing improvement in the general safety because of their dedication. He said new law enforcement technologies such as safer city, specialised equipment, vehicles and related technologies have been deployed to augment conventional crime-fighting efforts and keep the police ahead of crime.
Regrettably, Masisi said the country has experienced a wave of violent, intrusive and gruesome crimes in recent years resulting in the need for more urgent interventions.
“As I indicated in the last SONA, the Botswana Police Service (BPS) recruited 1000 trainees who completed their training in March 2023. An additional cohort of one thousand (1,000) recruits is currently undergoing training and is expected to graduate in April 2024. This increase, in human resources will provide for the introduction of City Policing Units in Gaborone and Francistown,” he said.
Although a lot has been said about abuse against women and girls little seems to be changing as GBV still remains one of the biggest challenges for Botswana. Almost every week there are reports of women being killed by their lovers, attacked and raped sometimes even in their sleep.
However, Masisi said the country is committed to continue nurturing and protecting children so that they achieve holistic development. The President stated that in that context, the government is paying particular attention to the well-being of adolescents and young people.
“We recognise that young people face unique challenges that hinder their development, including limited access to quality education, healthcare and nutrition. They also encounter barriers to their safety and well-being, such as violence, discrimination, and a lack of supportive environment,” he said.
Furthermore, Masisi said issues related to employment, skills, and empowerment often affect their transition into adulthood and hinder their participation in shaping their future.
“To this end, in October this year, we launched a commitment known as the ‘national commitment for adolescents and young people’s wellbeing in Botswana’to be integrated in our national planning, implementation and monitoring," he said.
He explained that the commitment is meant to support their transitioning to adulthood and address the peculiar challenges they face. Meanwhile, Masisi further revealed to be concerned by the scourge of excessive use of habit-forming substances amongst the youth.
He said the social and health impact of this scourge poses a threat too high so be ignored. It results in deviant behaviours, manifested by erosion of social values and acts of criminality. He disclosed that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is partnering with organisations in the youth and empowerment space to effectively address issues of substance abuse.
“In particular, the intervention is focused on prevention, personal development, skills training and job readiness, which will essentially give the youth a sense of purpose. It is regrettable that while this substance abuse largely affects the youth, we also have adults and in some instances, parents who perpetrate and perpetuate this situation for personal and self gain," Masisi said.
In last year’s SONA address, Masisi revealed that social ills, particularly tensions in gender relations in the society, are worrisome something that calls for all to introspect whether these social ills are consistent with our cultural values.
“Our values and norms as a society, in the treatment of girls and women in relation to boys and men, right from the family unit, have eroded. We need to ensure that the perpetrators of violent and intrusive crimes fully account for their heinous acts,” he said
He had also stated that children and women are demeaned, bullied, defiled, raped and murdered hence the need to ensure that the perpetrators of violent and intrusive crimes, fully account for their heinous acts. He said it was imperative that all revive the strong family and community structures and values that produce and nurture responsible citizens who regard and treat others with dignity.
“Government continues to strengthen the criminal justice system including stiffening penalties and rehabilitation of offenders to stem the tide of social ills. But we need to do more and the family needs to do even more,” he said.