258 GBV cases withdrawn from one police station

 

The fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) continues to elude the law enforcement agencies as women especially, continue to pardon their abusers and withdraw filed cases. With thousands of cases withdrawn across the country, it was particularly shocking that a single police station in Gaborone, Broadhurst Police, had 258 cases withdrawn by complainants this year alone.

It is said that of the 268 GBV cases reported since the be ginning of this year, the Police are only dealing with 10 cases, as 258 have been withdrawn by complainants. A representative of the Broadhurst Police said the majority of the complainants withdrawing their cases were women.

Despite this worrying setback, Matshidiso Machandlela, a GBV officer at Broadhurst Police applauded men for now voicing out by reporting violence perpetrated on them by women, noting that last month, four men reported assault by their female partners. This is against the common trend where men have been known to conceal incidents of women beating them up.

This revelation came recently when Machandlela was officiating at the City-to-City campaign camp against Drugs, HIV/AIDS and GBV, organised by Captive Eye Organisation.

Captive Eye Founder, Percy Mothibi said the camp activity, dubbed ‘Tents in the City,’ which had 18 young participants, is an innovative and engaging initiative aimed at raising awareness, combating and encouraging recovery from drugs, rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS and GBV prevention.

Mothibi said some parents have now resorted to giving their kids drugs to sell at schools especially motokwane (marijuana). She is worried that learners at primary school now know what drugs are and how they are used.

According to Mothibi, in Gaborone there is an emerging trend where some people have opened brothel houses for young girls to sell their bodies to make money to buy drugs. He expressed worry that this leads to high HIV infections.

“Some of the GBV cases including murder are fuelled by drugs because many drug users fail themselves when under the influence,” Mothibi said.

He said that security at borders needs to be strengthened to prevent cross border crimes including money laundering, human trafficking and illegal smuggling of guns.

He said currently, drug lords sell drugs such as crack cocaine at P100 per pack, and they make up to P500 000 per month. Mothibi said what is hurtful is that this money is often repatriated to other countries, which hampers the local economy.

He said that the drug lords have no good intentions, except to leave behind destroyed lives of young people who end up struggling with mental disorders, HIV and AIDS, crime and dysfunctional families.

One of the recovering addicts, Kagiso Matsoga shared how difficult it is to quit, once hooked. He lost everything including loved ones because he could not stop the habit. He said it is impossible to use willpower to abstain from alcohol once addicted.

Matsoga said his body is a liquor reservoir as he has been drinking and smoking for the last 20 years. He was once employed as a military officer, lecturer and manager at one local retailer.

“Every day from 8am to 2am in the morning, a bottle of beer and cigarettes are next to me,” Matsoga said, expressing excitement that he is on his way to recovery as he is currently getting counselling and intervention from Sabrana Psychiatric Hospital.