Dikgosi link rise in social ills to NGOs
Lindiwe Mozola | Wednesday May 3, 2017 16:10
They said this during the just ended Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) sensitisation workshop for dikgosi by Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW) held at Desert Sands Motel here.
The workshop was attended by dikgosi from the South to Central regions.
During the discussions, dikgosi called for the family structures to be resuscitated complaining that they have been sidelined by the NGOs that are at the forefront of every family crisis, which they said could have been handled at a family level hence keeping the family intact.
Dikgosi were responding to the presentation on child abuse.
Kgosi George Thwane of Artesia said in the past when there was a family crisis, family members were called together to discuss and find a solution to the problem.
However, he said in the modern days NGOs are the heads of the families, as uncles and other family leaders’ are no longer consulted.
He said, “Family structures have collapsed, their role is no longer visible as we are quick to engage outsiders on the family issues which could have been solved by the family members hence promoting peace as well as help keep the family intact. Nowadays, whenever anything happen perhaps a child is abused, we quickly engage Childline or social workers whereas there are family leaders who can help and find solution to the problem”.
Thwane said that the foreign sponsored NGOs have their own agenda.
Kgosi Oscar Mosielele of Moshupa shared similar sentiments, saying foreign policies adopted by the country have killed the family structures moreover their role, as they are no longer relevant.
“As Dikgosi we are custodians of culture and our roles are more at a family level, that is, to unite our communities,” he said, adding that issues such as child abuse are better placed in their hands than any other organisations. He said they could deal with them quickly unlike magistrate courts, which will keep on postponing cases causing more damage.
He said family structures needs to be given a chance to find a solution to the problems. He said the involvement of other organisations at times cause more damage than good, hence the alarming rise in social ills in the country. Batlokwa deputy Kgosi Michael Gaborone said that if the country continues to adopt foreign policies Batswana would lose their identities.
He called for introspection to curb the social ills that have befallen our country. “Let dikgosi be fully involved, such things were not there back in the days. Surely we might have been doing something good let us go back there and restore our peaceful country,” Gaborone said.
In response, social worker Portia Phalaetsile said that there is no how social workers and other stakeholders can never be engaged on sensetive issues such as child abuse since sometimes there is a need for medical tests to be done and many other evaluations.