Africa-Press – Botswana. Stakeholders in the fight against gender based violence (GBV) and other societal ills have been urged to be relentless in efforts to find lasting solutions to challenges besieging the nation.
At a prayer meeting hosted by the Parliamentary Caucus on Women in Gaborone on Wednesday, the need for joint efforts by the church, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public was emphasised as a way through which the war against GBV, passion killings and other similar problems could be won.
Minister of Finance, Ms Peggy Serame, said the prayer meeting that was graced by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane and First Lady Neo Masisi would form part of the national prayer programme.
She proposed that the prayers be held every second week of each month with people meeting across the country to cry out to God in unison regarding the challenges that the nation was grappling with.
Ms Serame said the prayers were also meant to reinforce efforts by the First Lady who continued to make strides in sensitising the nation on GBV and related matters.
She explained that the Parliamentary Caucus on Women had seen the need to bring together stakeholders so that they too could play a role in addressing the challenges.
She said it was sad that societal ills were becoming more prevalent with devastating consequences such as loss of lives and disruption of the family unit.
“The nation keeps losing many talented people but if we join hands and fight from one corner, we can overcome these problems,” Ms Serame said.
She encouraged Batswana to maintain the peace that the country had become synonymous with and urged them to continue to look to God for solutions in all circumstances.
For her part, Reverend Bonolo Mmereki-Burns appealed to church leaders to lend a hand in the fight against GBV.
She said with a population as small as Botswana’s, it was sad for the nation to be recording ever-increasing numbers of cases of defilement and incest.
Lentsweletau/Mmopane MP and Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja thanked the First Lady for her spirited campaign to drive home the message on GBV and the use of illicit drugs.
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