Peace conference addresses growing list of social ills
Laone Choeunyane | Thursday December 4, 2025 12:18
The conference aims to confront a growing list of social ills, including the proliferation of drugs and illicit substances, homelessness/ street children, high divorce rates, crime and rising levels of corruption.
Botswana has in the recent past experienced a concerning increase in violent crime, with the Botswana Police Service reporting a steady rise in armed robberies and Gender Based Violence (GBV) over the last three years, trends that organisers say make the gathering particularly urgent.
Speaking at a press briefing before the event, the founder of LEJAPEC, Dr Enole Ditsheko, observed the country’s declining sense of safety, drawing comparisons to earlier years when communities were able to co-exist peacefully. “I never used to worry about my safety, but no day goes by without me worrying whether I would be mugged or worse... this is what a typical citizen of this country is feeling,” he said.
Also present at the press briefing was Gaofengwe Maotwano, a beneficiary of LEJAPEC programmes, who spoke to the organisation’s continued support of youth and vulnerable communities.
Ditsheko revealed the line-up of to-be speakers at the conference, all of whom will be sharing evidence-based research. Among them are former DCEC Director Tymon Katlholo, Commissioner of Police Dinah Marathe, Professor Morena Rankopo of the Social Work Department at the University of Botswana and Dr Onalenna Selolwane. “We need to salvage every broken piece of what constitutes what we understand to be peace,” Ditsheko said.
Turning to the rise in GBV, particularly against women and girls, Ditsheko stressed the need for national reflection. He noted that the recent cases of passion killings reflect a deep erosion of peace within households and relationships. “Passion killings point out clearly that as a people we have lost our sense of peace, and somehow we need to be reminded of this very central value of peace building.”
LEJAPEC is a non-governmental organisation registered under CIPA in 2014, dedicated to tackling social challenges affecting children and young people – a mission that underpins this year’s call for renewed peace across Botswana.