Community Leaders Implored To Join GBV War

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday October 12, 2020 15:33

 

Community Leaders Implored To Join GBV War

Some ills BALA cited are the soaring gender-based violence (GBV) cases, and the student-on-teacher and student-on-student violent acts the country has been registering in high numbers.

“This calls for us to mobilise our communities to re-work the values that have made Botswana a beacon and model of good moral values. The rate at which lives are lost due to ‘passion killings’ does not reflect well on us as a nation,” BALA president, Jeffrey Sibisibi said at a retreat recently.

“This inhumane act needs to be eradicated as it defeats one of the pillars on which our nation is built, ‘Botho’. As leaders we cannot sit back and watch the values that have set Botswana apart from the rest of the world deteriorate into oblivion.”

Sibisibi said the strong family structure in the societal set up had contributed to the high moral standards that have cultivated peace and tranquillity enjoyed over time.

“Of late, there has been an alarming increase in cases of gender-based violence and abusive behaviour by students towards teachers and other students. …Concerns have been raised in relation to maternal health. Though government has good health programmes for expectant mothers right through child development and growth stages, there seems to be a very low uptake of such programmes resulting in high maternal deaths and infant mortality cases,” he continued. 

He said as civic leaders it is “our duty to educate and empower our communities to take advantage of available health programmes to save lives”.

The BALA president said they need a well-defined and documented strategic path for meaningful implementation and attainment of desired goals.

“We, however, cannot develop our strategy in a vacuum since it has to compliment national strategic priorities. This then calls for a halt on our strategy development pending the conclusion of review of our parent ministry to enable proper alignment,” he added. 

Meanwhile, First Lady Neo Masisi in partnership with the Gaborone City Mayor’s office, had embarked on a cycling event to act as a platform for education and awareness against GBV.

The event is meant to drive behavioural change, create awareness and sensitise the public on GBV issues where women and children are the usual victims.

Another objective of the event was for attendants to create platforms for discussion, debate on GBV issues and address GBV in which most of the cases involve women and children as the victims.