Africa-Press – Lesotho. Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro says Basotho are a nation in peril unless the nation changes its attitude towards Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and abuse of women. Majoro says victims of abuse are easily identifiable, and that those victims must be protected by the entire nation.
The prime minister aired these views during a special prayer service to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against GBV and the general call for no violence against women and children. The service was organized by the Office of the Prime Minister.
The service held at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre in Maseru on Tuesday, and which was also attended by the First Lady ‘Masekoalana Majoro, the Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu, the President of the Senate ‘Mamonaheng Mokitimi, Speaker of the National Assembly Sephiri Motanyane, Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane, former deputy prime ministers Kelebone Maope and Mothetjoa Metsing, cabinet ministers, senior government officials and citizens of goodwill was aimed at praying for those women and children who have been victims of abuse.
Led in prayer by the Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL), the congregated masses focused individual and their collective prayer on abuse of all kind, domestic, workplace and otherwise – but in particular calling on the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, to bequeath his grace on those women and children who have been victims of abuse.
A key message from the religious service was further prayer for an end to abuse in all its forms in the day-to-day running of national affairs, adding in prayer that “it is the call of the CCL for all of us to respect life, without reference to gender.
We call on an end to nepotism, to opportunities gained through corruption, bribery and sexual favours. ” In his keynote address Prime Minister Majoro noted that government will not succeed in its mandate to attend to the needs of the people it leads if “we are still held up in the addressing this scourge of domestic abuse and violence against women.
The Commonwealth, Majoro said, has reported that the Lesotho government loses about 5 percent of its revenue as a result of women abuse and violent acts against them. He said this is money spent on information dissemination, education, the upkeep of victims and medical expenses.
“The country will not prosper is abuse is not uprooted, meaning hunger, poverty HIV/AIDS and the protection of human rights will not be achieved if we don’t win this fight,” he continued.
He further voiced concern that the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in the rate of the gender-based violence because since the announcement of a national lockdown “we were forced into smaller spaces and regular conduct, which led to acts of abuse.
“We have numerous reports of the rape of infants and girls; the murder of women and old aged people – including the rape of boys,” a worried Major added.
In her remarks at the same event the First Lady labeled abuse and violence against women a disease that many have come to tolerate as part of life because of its existence in societal upbringing.
She narrated her real-life story as a living example of abuse, revealing that she has gone through many of such challenges in her life, and worried every time she looks at her children wondering how they would cope and survive in a world like the one we have.
“After completion of my studies I applied for a job at Cooperatives College where I felt I was a capable and qualified candidate, but I was asked by the director there for sexual favours before I could be employed,” she revealed.
The First Lady applauded the CCL to have convened this gathering to pray for those who died as a result of abuse, those who are currently being abused and those who might fall victim to abuse in the future.
She called for a change in the country’s education systems to instill behavioral change, change in the legal and justice systems, a change in the conduct of traditional leaders and Principal Chiefs for an effective change in the life patterns of society.
Speaking at the same event the Minister of Gender, Likeleli Tampane, reminded those present that the Southern African Development Community has already accentuated that abuse undermines governments, the economy and the well-being of individual homesteads.
Tampane said Lesotho was no exception in this regard, and that it was sad that acts of violence and abuse against women was becoming rife at a time the country and the world are in grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Because of this reality we find ourselves faced with, we partnered with the office of the First Lady to devise means of eradicating the scourge, we visited several individual families of raped and murdered victims of this violence across the country.
Large numbers of victims of abuse in safe havens has overwhelmed government, so much that we are even contravening COVID-19 safety measures by congesting these places because of the escalating numbers of people we have to cater for,” the gender minister continued.
Tampane appealed to Prime Minister Majoro and the government he leads to take note of reality that is violence and abuse meted out at women, she implored for the same government to be in the forefront in the fight against abuse and violence against women.
For her part the Minister of Social Development, ‘Matebatso Doti, raised concern on the escalating numbers of reports of the abuse of the aged, girls, women and boys, arriving daily at her office.
She said these led to a study that unearthed that 14 percent of girls are victims of abuse and by their parents and next of kin by her ministry. Boys, she said, were at 5 percent and similarly most were abused by the parents and next of kin.
According to recent study by the Commonwealth about one in three women in Lesotho has suffered physical or sexual violence – often by a partner, similar to the global prevalence rate. Analysts calculated this cost the country more than M1.9 billion a year – equivalent to $50 (M750) per citizen.
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