What happened to humanity?

Mmegi Editor | Friday November 28, 2014 17:08

The level of cruelty exerted on the child left many who viewed the video wondering how this could be happening? Many had to struggle to find an answer to this sort of cruelty.   Each and every adult person was a toddler at some point. At that age there is no amount of wrong a child  can do to warrant such a punishment.  Moreover, no god, man or woman should visit the iniquities of the father or mother on the child. It is unjust for any individual to hold a child accountable for the crimes or sins of their parents no matter the conflict.

It is, therefore, difficult to understand what went through the abusive woman’s head when she hit, shoved, kicked, and tossed a toddler about before stepping on her.

Abuse is committed everyday in the world and is difficult to stomach, especially when committed against a defenceless being.   In fact, abuse should never be condoned.  The question that has eluded us, concerning the Uganda incident is relevant here at home.  It takes us to a village just 40 kilometres west of Gaborone where a group of young men went on a rampage.  The group attacked several homes and in the midst of it all took the life of a 67-year-old woman after beating and stabbing her with a sharp object.  Her crime, according to ongoing reports, is that one family member was in a scuffle with some gangsters, who later went on the hunt for him.

What happened to botho in our country? What led us to this situation as human beings in this society?

It is time we introspect as a nation to debate whether or not we are still on the right track.   We make this request fully aware of a report of the Puso Committee which was established by President Ian Khama five years ago. The mandate of the committee was to investigate causes of moral degeneration that has driven the nation into anarchy, disobedient children, and social ills in general.

Although not perfect, the report gave insight into what could be the main causes of this madness. One of the causes, we can attest, is the collapse of social structures such as family, the failure by some parents to provide guidance to their chidlren, and of course the rampant substance and drug abuse.

We should ask ourselves what happened to the days where intervention against attacks on a defenceless person was commonplace.  

Why do we watch as a neighbour’s house is being broken into and not make a report to the police?  Why do we rob other people of valuables, and even go as far as taking a life? 

Furthermore, we should ask ourselves why we do not take crimes reported to the police by members of the public seriously.