The Public Urged To Unite Against Passion Killing
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday October 24, 2016 16:23
He said this at passion killing awareness and debate event organised by Jesus Generation Movement (JGM) at Tsholofelo Park on Saturday.
A Christian based non-profit making organisation, JGM urged lovers to stop taking lives when troubled but rather seek guidance from the Lord. This organisation is made up of Christians of different denominations, coming together with a common goal of addressing some of the challenges the country is facing, including passion killing.
Molapise said that he could not understand why the society had degenerated into a society of killers. He further pointed out that people adopted the laws of the jungle, eat or be eaten. He said the less powerful were at the mercy of the more powerful as they could be killed with no regret.
“I stand here asking myself what to call this monster (passion killing). It has generally been accepted as passion killings. Others have over the years called it homicide. This is where a person (usually a man) kills a lover in a fit of passion,” he said.
Molapise further explained that HIV had in recent years attributed the rise of that crime. He said cheating on one’s partner could have dire consequences. Molapise also pointed out that culture also seemed to suggest that the woman asks for it by being unfaithful. He added that sexual lust and rage had entirely clouded people’s thinking and could not in any way be romantic. However, he pointed out that those were not valid reasons to take a human life.
“This goes to show that we are living in an era where gender roles are totally messed up. Since passion killings have become an institutionalised form of violence, it follows therefore that the response should be proportionate to the challenge. We must deviate from viewing this as personal or individual problem but rather look at it as a societal catastrophe,” he added.
He pointed out that the law provided that any person who of malice aforethought causes the death of another person by an unlawful act or omission is guilty of an offense. The station commander also urged Batswana to unite and fight that situation together.
For her part, JGM member, pastor Maitoko Selotlego said it was high time people looked up to God for guidance and salvation.
She said JGM was concerned about the alarming rate of passion killing more especially amongst young people. She pointed out that true love does not kill no matter the challenges and hurt that a relationship may face.
“There is nothing passionate about killing one’s spouse or partner. The reason we are having escalading cases of the so-called passion killing is that we are no longer living according to our customs where people would live together after marriage. Cohabitation is one of the contributing factors of passion killing. This is because of cheating more especially by young women, jealous, HIV and others,” she said. Selotlego also pointed out that even though passion killing was the root of evil it had been there since the moment man sinned. She said if the nation prayed and leaned on the gospel, passion killing and any other social illness could come to an end.