Mmegi

Crime in 100 days: Legal loopholes persist

GBV has become a daily concern for a country believed to be a peace-loving nation
GBV has become a daily concern for a country believed to be a peace-loving nation

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.

Editor's Comment
No job offer is worth risking becoming traffickers’ prey

“Desperate people do desperate things”– Michael BrooksHowever, this desperate pursuit of employment comes with its own negative outcomes. Therefore, Batswana must guard against becoming easy targets for human traffickers, labour exploiters and other transnational criminal networks that prey on vulnerable job seekers.Numbers don’t lie. The recent revelation by the Botswana Police Service that 22 Batswana have been reported missing after...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up