Africa-Press – Botswana. Mothei Sejakgomo, who runs a prison-style boot camp has defended his methods of discipline which have sent shockwaves. Following a suicide incident by a 23-year-old at the Botswana Institute for Reintegration and Rehabilitation of Offenders (BIRRO), allegations of human rights abuse are flying.
Sejakgomo and his team are accused of abuse administering corporal punishment extremely, as well as verbal abuse among others. He is defending his methods and believes he is rescuing many young people from going to prison.
“There are serious human rights abuses being levelled on people who have gone for rehab at BIRRO boot camp such as verbal and physical abuse. Children are being stripped of their dignity. They can be shaved in front of others. It is said that this persists even though BIRRO is receiving donations as a society. The president does not account for the money and he doesn’t have a committee,” a source close to the developments revealed.
The source said they have a family member who used to be there only to come back worse and involved in heavy drug use for which he went there to be rehabilitated.
Thabang Keitumetse, a 29-year-old who attended the boot camp late last year has nothing positive to say about the centre. “I have been to that place and I can tell you it is hell. There is nothing about rehabilitation but pure human rights abuse. I have seen it all. I saw people being stripped naked and whipped inhumanely by Sejakgomo and his colleagues. The most bizarre was when he bathed one of the boot campers and shaved his pubic hair in full view of both male and female boot campers,” he said.
Keitumetse said Sejakgomo as a former prisoner working with former soldiers and police officer do all the abuse with experience. “They know how to torture and can also brutally assault you with no regard for medical conditions or anything. They are also good with words. Sejakgomo would tell you that they can do anything to you even killing you and burying you. They would tell you that your parents do not love you hence they brought you to the centre and that even if they do anything to you it would be their story that would be believed,” he griped.
The Monitor on Saturday visited the boot camp in Tlagale Lands just before Mosaditshwene. As The Monitor car arrived at the campsite, two workers approached and demanded some distance between the team and their camp.
Sejakgomo is not bothered that what he is doing could be illegal as they believe that they are saving many young men and women from going to prison. “Our main aim is to act as speed humps to the young ones speeding to prison. We deal with young delinquents either involved in crime, drugs, those who disrespect their parents and many others. All this I did not go to school for. It is out of my love for children and also application of my experience while in prison. I believe my method is working as most of them end up making their parents proud. One example of good work we did was with Matsetsenkane of Thamaga who are now well behaved,” he said.
On his method of rehabilitation, Sejakgomo said they have rules and force is often used. “This is no place for counselling, we put security first before psychology. We differ from others in that we take the child when the parent has allowed us. Some would say we are stepping on their rights. But then one wonders what about the rights of the parents? They stay with their parents but do not respect them. It is our duty to take them and help parents,” he said.
Sejakgomo said they keep the boot campers busy with exercising, gathering firewood and cooking amongst other things. He said they are mostly from rich families and they cannot have a fancy camp for them. He said they have to experience the other side of life and learn that they should appreciate what their parents teach them.
On the issue of punishment, Sejakgomo said punishments are meted out in full view of others. “These punishments mostly apply to those who escape from the camp. It is risky behaviour to escape from camp under our care. We also punish those who hit others as we are the only ones empowered to beat them. We also punish those who attack their parents when they visit them. There are then those who misbehave regularly. We also punish those whose parents tell us to deal with them in a way we can. There are those who would threaten suing shall their child be beaten, but if we have to beat them we go ahead and do so because safety is a priority to us,” he said.
Quizzed on the legality of their operations, Sejakgomo said: “We are still working on being a rehabilitation centre. This is just a boot camp that takes three months and we can hold it anywhere. We are not abusing the boot campers hence the highly placed members of the society continue to bring their children here. The boot camps will continue because they can save Botswana. This is not a gangster’s den. Investigations can be made and if we are found to be in the wrong then the centre can be shut down,” he said.
On allegations of abuse, Sejakgomo said as drug addicts, the children have mastered the art of crafting words to try to turn their parents against him. He said this would not dissuade him from his course.
Sejakgomo admitted that he does bathe campers and shaves them. “As we are here, they all have to bath three times daily and have to keep no pubic hair, no nails, and no hair. If we try to talk to you and do not do as required, I pour the water and bathe you in front of others and also cut your pubic hair. This is to encourage self-respect. I am trying my best to mould these young people and it is sad people are trying to tarnish this programme,” he said.
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