Police Warn Residents Against Cohabitation
Pini Bothoko | Monday December 7, 2015 16:22
Tatitown police constable, Mooketsi Malibala, cautioned residents against cohabitation during the commemoration of 16 days of activism against GBV held last Thursday.
The event was held at the village Kgotla under the theme: “From peace in the home, to peace in the world: Make education safe for all”.
Malibala stated that even though he did not have statistics to prove cases linked with cohabitation the station is overwhelmed with cases of abuse reported by cohabiting partners. He revealed that usually cohabiting partners report cases like malicious damage to property, bodily harm, assault, and threat-to-kill, among others.
He said when there is a misunderstanding cohabiting people usually destroy each other’s properties like burning their clothes, destroying television sets, radios, cars as well as beating and hurting each other.
“Due to cohabitation a majority of people have lost their lives after committing suicide with some being murdered. Passion killings still remain a challenge with a majority of the victims being mostly those who cohabit,” said Malibala.
Malibala told residents that the country’s law does not recognise cohabitation, but it cannot deny anyone to reside wherever they wish.
He encouraged residents to consider getting married first before they move in together as couples.
“However, cohabiting with underage children is an offense because they are covered by the Children’s Act,” said Malibala, warning residents of defilement.
He said surveys show that there are various causes that lead the youth to cohabitation like poverty, unemployment and insecurity of partners.
“Women usually consider moving in to stay with a man looking at his financial status but I encourage them to be independent because usually this is the cause of GBV as they will be depending on their partners,” said Malibala, pointing out that staying together tends to bore couples easily and may cause misunderstanding amongst partners.
He warned women against cohabiting saying that staying with a man without being married can give him total control over her.
Malibala said both male and female youths cohabit thus calling on for all to seek government poverty eradication programmes to open businesses for themselves to earn a living.
He also said that cohabitation exists across all ages pointing out that the government introduced ‘Re a nyalana’ programme for elders who have been cohabiting for a long time.
He stated that cohabitation brings down a woman’s dignity because it will only make her ‘an acting wife’.
A representative from the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and also a teacher, Gorata Bagopi, encouraged parents to take full responsibility for their children’s proper upbringing and teach them good morals.
Bagopi said children, especially the girl-child, should be taught from a tender age to respect marriage and wait for the right time to engage in sexual relations.