Let's Unite And Fight GBV

Monitor Editor | Monday July 9, 2018 11:51

Newspapers and other media outlets in the country, write or broadcast stories, on GBV victims, and try by all means to follow cases with the police and the courts, but unfortunately the problems seem only to be growing rather than abating.

Just two weeks ago, the nation was shocked and angered by the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in the mining town of Jwaneng.  This case is one of the many, where the highest level of brutality was used on the victims, who in most cases are women.

The Jwaneng murder victim, like many people, seemed to have gone to Jwaneng to be part of the spectacle that was the Toyota 1000 Desert Race, which started on June 22 and ended on June 24, 2018. 

The rape and murder seemed to have occurred around the area where the body was discovered, in a bushy site of Unit 2 location, which is not too far from the Jwaneng stadium, where a major music festival was held.

The level of brutality used by the perpetrators on the young woman should be a wake up call for the nation to come together and fight this problem, which seems to be growing by the day. 

While, the case is still fresh, there are already some signs that four or more men might have sexually assaulted the young woman, which leads one to wonder where we are headed as a nation.

How would young men who are supposed to be focused on building the country and becoming positive role models for the society end up involved in such a heinous act of violence.

A number of non-governmental organisations have tried with limited resources to fight the scourge that is GBV, but the problem still continues to grow.

A number of people have called for stiffer penalties on certain criminal acts amongst them rape, robbery, just to mention a few. While stiffer penalties will be a welcome development there is an urgent need for all stakeholders to come together, and find ways of reducing the crimes, with the ultimate goal of ending GBV.

From the look of things, some of the young men to commit these crimes, seem to see it as a fun way to pass time, something which should be condemned vehemently.

There is yet another concern that needs to be addressed urgently, the tendency to blame victims with lame excuses such as the attire one was wearing, the amount of alcohol the victim had consumed and so forth.

Nothing in this world justifies these barbaric acts and those who commit these crimes should pay a hefty penalty.