Societal Anger Cause Of Escalating Murder Cases
Pini Bothoko | Monday August 6, 2018 12:37
Demonstrated by escalating murder cases, Batswana seem to be exhibiting a frightening lack of control. Murder cases involving intimate partners, especially boyfriends and girlfriends, seem to be once again raising their ugly heads.
Over the years, dozens of women in Botswana have been killed at the hands of their lovers, something that continues to spiral of control, which could be said to be a reflection of an angry society.
Last week a headless body of a woman was found dumped in the bush at Maratanang ward at Tlokweng with the deceased suspected to have been brutally killed by her boyfriend currently in custody. Another woman aged 27 suspected killed by her boyfriend died from severe wounds at Mahalapye hospital after she was stabbed multiple times with a sharp object.
Still that same week the 31-year-old woman of Matsiloje was also murdered. It was reported that woman who was found in a pool of blood was stabbed twice on her neck with a sharp object.
Quizzed on this surge, former Tatitown Customary Court President and a long-time social activist Margaret Mosojane said the raising murder cases are emerging issues that need immediate collective approach.
Mosojane pointed out that when getting into a relationship people nowadays look at what the relationship will offer or what they will gain something that seem to later backfires hence the rising murder cases especially amongst lovers. “Nowadays people look at what their partners will give them.
Back in the days when I was a young woman I used to see a man offering something to a woman and they would refuse saying ‘nna gake rekwe’ but nowadays we hear that men are ‘blessers’ hence women agree to date them knowing they will be ‘blessed’ in a way.
When such relationship do not work out usually the men will have a lot of anger and consider things like killing their partners ba akanya gore ba jelwe, this is the reality that we are living in, ” she said.
She went on to say people are angry looking at the social environment that they live in without jobs, with high living standards and living in a country full of corruption where is hard to own almost anything not even a residential plot.
“People are angry about a lot of issues, there is hopelessness amongst Batswana. Children grow up in single parent families, some their parents had divorced.
You can imagine how such family backgrounds contributed to the way they see things and value life because such issues have not been addressed.
Even if you can get into a public transport and mistakenly step on someone’s toes they will get angry like you have something huge, this is a sign that the society is angry hence possible holding on their relationships as something positive in their lives. When the other partner decides to end the relation the other one retaliate and kill,” said Mosojane.
Mosojane said cutting another person’s head reflects an individual’s emptiness as they no longer value and respect life. “We might be a country rich of diamonds but individually we are we are empty and frustrated,” said Mosojane. For his part also not condoning what has transpired pointing it out as an abuse against women Kgosi Thabo Maruje Masunga III pointed out that structures that used to be there in Setswana culture have changed and impacting negatively on people’s lives.
He stated that there is change in human evolution as the environment that people live in no longer brings out positive results.
“Unlike in the past people look at their jobs for survival. There is so much pressure especially amongst the youth as opportunities for their survival are limited.
There are no structures where youth can meet and talk and this frustrates them the most. If youth Parliament could have been implemented it could have been a platform to be used to address challenges facing the youth and their welfare.
Issues like the rising murder cases amongst the youth could be able to be dealt with there,” he said. Sharing the same sentiments with Mosojane, Kgosi Masunga said social ills like corruption has made people angry. He also pointed out that the upbringing of children has changed something that has impacted negatively on their lives, how they see and value life. “Divorce cases are high, children grow up in single parent families without the care and support of both of their parents something that impact negatively of their future.
Family has been the basis of the country’s success hence the need for the country’s leadership to look into it.
Life is high, there is no positive outlook, no empowerment hence the need to go back to the drawing board. People are frustrated and angry hence the need for a dialogue,” he said.
Kgosi Masunga noted that rape, defilement and murder cases are high and that is a sign that the society has broken down and no longer listen to each other.