1. The President’s admission that Botswana is a violent society is not news to us nor the thousands of citizens whose lives are marked by brutality, neglect and injustice. From corporal punishment to capital punishment and the systemic abuses embedded in our laws and policies, violence is a deep rooted feature of our nation. This acknowledgment from the President is hollow unless followed by immediate and concrete action. It is worth stating that #Violence and #GBV may be related concepts but have distinct meanings and applications.

2. Despite the countless opportunities to address gender-based violence on numerous platforms, the President and the Minister of Youth and Gender have mastered the art of empty rhetoric. Their speeches, adorned with fancy English and poetic flourishes, offer no real solutions to the crisis at hand. While their words may entertain, they painfully evidence the detachment from the harsh realities of #GBV, pure rhetoric with no substance to back it up. The government’s inaction makes it complicit in the violence and suffering that plague this nation.

3. We are currently witnessing horrifying trends in Botswana. The prevalence of #GBV continues to spiral out of control. The government has failed to organize a cohesive national response, allowing #GBV to thrive unchecked. This negligence is a direct betrayal of the Constitutional mandate to protect the lives and dignity of its people.

4. The current response to #GBV is fragmented, disorganized, and grossly ineffective. Laws such as the Domestic Violence Act, the Children’s Act, and the Penal Code are already in place, yet they remain grossly under enforced and are also in need of reform. Survivors continue to suffer because of the government’s negligence in implementing these protections. The government must reform law enforcement and the judiciary to ensure that perpetrators face the full wrath of the law and survivors are protected.

5. Addressing #GBV requires a national response backed by substantial investment. We demand that the government allocate adequate funding for shelters, survivor services, legal aid and community education programs. Public education campaigns must be launched to challenge harmful cultural norms and to raise awareness about #GBV prevention and support systems. Furthermore, to ensure accountability, a robust
monitoring and evaluation system must be established to track the effectiveness of #GBV interventions and hold institutions accountable for their failures.

This is not a call for dialogue. This is a demand for immediate action! The government’s continued inaction is a betrayal of its constitutional and human rights commitments. If the government fails to act now, it will cement its legacy as a regime that abandoned its people in their time of greatest need while they. perished. Enough is enough. The time for decisive action is now!

For more information, contact BONELA on:
Cindy Kelemi at cindyk@bonela.org or 72385054
Katlego Sechele at ksechele@bonela.org or 72282025