Africa-Press – Botswana. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex and Others (LGBTQI+) community in Botswana has for years been victims of gender based violence (GBV), which unfortunately sometimes end in casualities.
Recently, there were reports of a young gay man who was gang raped, assaulted and his private parts set on fire due to his sexuality. The young man is said to have succumbed to injuries sustained after he was rushed to a local health facility for treatment. He was buried yesterday in Maun.
This is not the first time an LGBTQI+ member has been assaulted leading to their death in Maun. In their recent press statement, the human rights organization Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO), expressed devastation, outrage and alarm over the matter.
“LEGABIBO is devastated, outraged and alarmed by reports from Maun of a young man who was assaulted, beaten, burned and abandoned on the roadside last weekend. Despite efforts by his loved ones to save him, we learn that he tragically lost his life on Tuesday last week due to severe injuries inflicted upon him,” they stated.
They added that LEGABIBO pride themselves in the values of botho, respect and compassion. They pointed out that acts of hatred and cruelty undermine those values shared by Batswana and also threaten the very fabric of their society.
LEGABIBO also said violence against individuals because of who they are; who they love or how they express their identity has no place in the local communities. They added that such incidents cause them to deeply reflect on the increasingly violent state of their society. LEGABIBO further strongly condemned that heinous act and called upon the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and all law enforcement agencies to ensure thorough investigations and bring perpetrators to justice.
“Botswana has consistently positioned itself as a human rights centred nation, celebrating progress at home and abroad, including at the United Nations, the African Union and other international human rights mechanisms. With this proud record comes the responsibility to ensure that the rights, dignity, and safety of all people in Botswana are protected. A true commitment to human rights requires not only rhetoric, but also meaningful action,” it added.
LEGABIBO has therefore called on the government and BPS to hold those responsible for that attack accountable through transparent and fair judicial processes; uphold the Constitution of Botswana, which prohibits discrimination and ensures the rights to life, equality and protection of all citizens; enact and implement legislation against hate crimes, ensuring that violence and discrimination motivated by homophobia or any form of prejudice are explicitly addressed and punished. They also called on the mentioned stakeholders to promote education, awareness and community engagement to prevent further acts of hate and foster a society built on respect and inclusion.
For his part, the founder of Success Capital, an NGO that advocates for the LGBTQI+ community rights, Dumiso Gasha said its high time the government declare GBV as an emergency through presidential directive. He added that comprehensive solutions and infrastructure could follow, just as recently declared under the state of Public Health Emergency, amidst COVID-19 and climate emergency situations that have the privilege of preexisting legal infrastructure. There should be no threshold to the loss of life before decisive action is taken by the state.
“BPS should release its Annual Reports and Crime Statistics Reports from 2022 onwards to allow for a more long-term view of emerging trends of GBV to further inform state action. This should be complimented by increased visibility in public spaces and residential area patrolling without elitism. If resources can be extended to security for highly profitable and insured banks at no cost, the same should be done for all citizens, particularly those who do not have the privileges of private security and insurance for their losses due to crime and violence,” he said.
Gasha added that impact reviews on specialised GBV courts and child friendly police stations should be instituted and shared widely for citizens to appreciate, since the government presented this as one of the many solutions to GBV at its CEDAW review.
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