Butale sexual assault investigation continues-BPF
Lebogang Mosikare | Friday June 4, 2021 15:49
The infamous ‘sexual assault’ saga dominated Botswana’s traditional and social media platforms through the leaking of an audio clip between him and a woman who is a student at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) whom he is said to have sexually assaulted.
Following the leaking of the audio, the BPF advised Butale to temporarily step down as president on ethical and moral grounds in order to clear his name.
However, Butale has paid no heed to that advice and he is insisting that he is a victim of a political witch-hunt orchestrated by some leading figures within the BPF.
Some BPF activists say the audio has divided the BPF leadership into the pro and anti- Butale factions.
The public has also weighed in on the issue on social media platforms.
Butale’s backers are of the view that the audio issue is a smoke screen that is used to get rid of him since he was never really intended to be the BPF’s leader since the party’s formation on the eve of the 2019 general election following an acrimonious fallout between former president Ian Khama and his successor Mokgweetsi Masisi.
They back their reasoning by arguing that if the BPF was genuinely concerned about the repercussions that would hit the party should he not step down from his position, the least the BPF could have done was to help the alleged victim lay a formal charge against Butale with the police.
They add that by sweeping the matter under the carpet for sometime after the woman relayed her allegations to some BPF leaders, the party was also complicit in Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases, especially sexual offences, that are currently on the increase in Botswana.
Butale’s alleged sexual misconduct is also compounded by the fact that he is not a party leader but a pastor who knows what is expected of him in many situations.
On the other hand, those who want Butale to relinquish power say although no formal charge has been laid against him by the woman, he should step down to clear his name on moral grounds in order not to bring the BPF’s name into disrepute.
Although some Batswana are of the view that the BPF has swept the sexual allegation under the carpet by not helping the victim lay a formal charge against Butale at the police, Khama says the party has played its part to assist her.
Khama said after the leaking of the audio, the BPF received a letter detailing her concerns about Butale from the complainant.
Following the letter, Khama said, the BPF gave the woman and her parents audience in order to better understand the woman’s concerns and
advised that they were at liberty to lay a formal complaint with the police since the matter was of a very serious nature.
Khama dismissed the notion that BPF swept the matter under the carpet saying that the party could not do so since it was also very concerned about issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV), especially sexual offences that are increasing at an alarming rate in Botswana.
The BPF SG added that the BPF also later sent a delegation of three national executive committee (NEC) women led by the vice president of the BPF to the home of the victim for further audience and better understanding of the complainant’s concerns.
“At the moment, we are awaiting a report from the delegation we sent to the complainant’s home. We don’t know why the complainant and her parents have not reported the matter up to now. We honestly can’t investigate the issue since it’s clearly a police matter. But the BPF will continue to internally investigate the Butale issue in order to make a determination going forward,” said Khama.
Even if the BPF may carry an internal investigation concerning the Butale issue, its constitution clearly stipulates that the party does not have powers to suspend or ask Butale to step down.
According to the constitution of the BPF, only the party congress is clothed with such powers.
When asked if indeed the BPF has helped her to report the matter and if she has reported the matter to the police up to now, Butale’s alleged complainant curtly said: “You are asking me a personal question. I have no comment about that.”
Commenting about the Butale issue, the executive director of the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV and AIDS (BONELA), Cindy Kelemi said: “BONELA condemns all forms of violence. We have maintained that government should ensure that the penal code provisions prohibiting abuse, violence and other violations... are fully resourced and implemented.”
She added: “We also urge members of the public, particularly young people to report allegations of sexual violence and GBV regardless of the social status of the perpetrators.”
Kelemi’s counterpart at Women Against Rape (WAR), a human rights organisation in Maun, said that political parties and not necessarily the BPF should have a code of conduct that include sexual harassment policy in order to effectively deal with issues such as the Butale saga.
She said: “...The BPF as an organisation is expected to have a code of conduct that includes an anti sexual harassment policy that should stipulate how members should behave towards one another and towards customers to respect and uphold their human dignity and body autonomy.”
There should be guidelines on what support is available for those experiencing sexual harassment within the structures of the BPF which also detail the steps to be taken if one feels sexually harassed or abused, Ramaphane explained.
She added: “The steps should include action to take, how to report and to whom, investigations and sanctions if found guilty and what support is there from the organisation for its members who are so violated. The complainant should be given options of where to report if the incident happened outside the confines of the BPF; report to the police or support organisations that can accompany the alleged victim to the police for reporting.”
As a consenting adult, Ramaphane noted, the woman would be provided with the information on how and where to report and offered support, if needed, to go and report to the police.
“There are numerous reasons why women do not report sexual harassment and abuse (fear of re-victimisation, fear of being blamed, fear of not being believed, shame, amongst others) and victims need support from family, friends, community and the support service departments. It is important for the victim to feel heard and supported,” Ramaphane said.
The first person(s) that the alleged victim told bore a great responsibility to believe her and support her through the stages acknowledging what has happened and being there to accompany her to report so that justice prevails, Ramaphane continued.
Ramaphane added: “The woman should have been given the necessary and relevant information with regards to care for victims of sexual and GBV to enable her to make informed decisions for herself to access health, justice and social services. The BPF could have provided her with this information or referred her to organisations that could assist her or referred her to government social workers.”