Authorities defend flogging of illegal Zims
Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday March 24, 2016 11:58
Mosojane’s sentiments come in the wake of an article that recently appeared in a Zimbabwe newspaper, New Zimbabwe, that said Zimbabweans were discriminated against by the laws of Botswana when it comes to flogging.
“Corporal punishment is recognised by a number of legal statutes in Botswana. Even Batswana who commit petty crimes receive corporal punishment. Zimbabwean authorities who allegedly said so are probably not aware of our laws in Botswana.”
“Most Zimbabweans unlike their Batswana counterparts end up being caned because they would not have money to pay the fine after they have been found guilty by our various traditional courts throughout the country,” said Mosojane.
Mosojane added that it is unfortunate for the Zimbabwe authorities to impute that their countrymen are indiscriminately flogged because Batswana are also subjected to the same practice. Officer Commanding No.1 police district, Israel Tuelo, said every male under the age of 40 in Botswana is subjected to corporal punishment regardless of their country of origin.
He said there could only be an exception if people who have transgressed the law are certified unfit to be administered corporal punishment by medical practitioners.
“We also have forums at our level where we meet with our counterparts from Zimbabwe concerning issues of security. These forums are team building forums created to build strong and cordial working relationships with our peers in order to effectively carry out security mandate between our sisterly countries.” However, the customary practice of flogging Zimbabweans who are found guilty of having committed petty crimes has rubbed Zimbabwean authorities the wrong way.
According to New Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe government’s pleas with Botswana authorities to stop caning Zimbabwean offenders have fallen on deaf ears.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) head of minerals and border control unit, Ernest Muchekwa, told the Zimbabwe Parliament recently that they have held many meetings with their Botswana counterparts with the hope of ending the flogging of Zimbabweans in Botswana but the practice still continues.
Muchekwa said they have repeatedly impressed the need to observe human rights but have been told that Botswana chiefs have a legal right to flog offenders.
According to Muchekwa, petty offenders are given up to six strokes each for crimes like failing to produce valid documents such as work and residence permits.
He however said that although the practice was yet to end, they have noted improvements of late. In the past, New Zimbabwe says, there have been reports of many Zimbabweans sustaining injuries to their buttocks after aides of Botswana chiefs in the areas surrounding the border between the two countries whipped them. The paper says that nine Zimbabweans were whipped for entering Botswana without valid travellers documents.
Muchekwa told parliament that while Botswana chiefs were whipping Zimbabweans, Batswana citizens were not subjected to inhuman treatment in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans have been flocking to Botswana for shopping since independence but since 2000 many have been choosing to settle in Botswana due to the economic problems in Zimbabwe.