Goodhope battlling sexual violence

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 7, 2026 09:00

According to the Goodhope District Development Committee (DDC) Report, cases of gender-based violence (GBV) also remain high despite intensified efforts to raise awareness and prevent such incidents.

Council chairperson, Gofaone Nkwane, said they had strengthened their awareness campaigns in schools and communities, targeting learners, parents, teachers and other community members.

“The report shows that we have intensified campaigns in schools and communities, targeting learners, parents, teachers, and community members,” he added.

However, Nkwane noted that the continued prevalence of sexual violence and GBV remained a concern, highlighting the need for sustained interventions and greater community involvement in addressing the problem.

The DDC report noted that Goodhope District Council Social and Community Development (S&CD) recorded 12 child abuse cases, which are related cases involving both minors and adults recorded during the quarter.

“The cases were as follows: rape one, negligence (two), defilement (seven), threat-to-kill one, and one family problem,” the report indicates.

It further states that a high number of defilement and rape cases (can be attributed to poor parenting skills), limited resources (vehicles to attend to cases on time), the absence of counselling space in RAC, meant psychological support is often compromised, and a high caseload and few case workers (social workers).

For immediate interventions, the report shows that there is need “to advocate for additional social workers in the district, to intensify stakeholder collaboration and to intensify community education through kgotla meetings, school outreach, and the council social media pages.”

Furthermore, it indicates that their office continues to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including the Botswana Police Service, NGOs, and Health Service Providers, to ensure a coordinated response to GBV cases.

“Survivors and affected families were referred to appropriate support services, including psychosocial support, counselling, and legal assistance where necessary.

“The office continues to monitor GBV trends and advocate for strengthened child protection interventions and timely reporting of cases involving minors,” it states.

The report stated that on Gender and Child Protection, at Goodhope police, they recorded nine defilement cases, six suspects arrested, three victims pregnant, and 10 rape cases.

It added that there were seven suspects arrested, eight cases involved children, five threats-to-kill, two cases registered before the subordinate court with suspects out on bail, three failures to comply with court orders, and one failure to report child abuse.

The Police also recommended the need to intensify GBV awareness campaigns in schools and communities, targeting learners, parents, teachers, and community members.