Crime in 100 days: Legal loopholes persist :: Mmegi Online

In the new government’s first 100 days, the long-simmering menace of Gender Based Violence (GBV) boiled over and exposed well-known legal loopholes. As such, Batswana are demanding more from the new administration beyond talk, writes Mmegi Staffer PINI BOTHOKO

GBV has become a daily concern for a country believed to be a peace-loving nation with a strong cultural value of Botho. Over the past festive season, police recorded 298 reported offences against persons, with 181 of them being GBV-linked crimes. That is 60.7% of total reported crimes being gender-based.

About 93 women were raped between December 19, 2024 and January 5, 2025 according to official data shared by the Botswana Police Service (BPS), meaning that for a population of about 2.3 million people, close to 100 women were raped in a short period of two weeks. And that only includes reported cases.

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