Corpun file 15022

Botswana Daily News Online, 20 January 2005

Kgosi to continue caning women

(extract)

THAMAGA - Thamaga Senior Chief's Representative, Gobuamang Gobuamang, says he agrees with his subjects that there was no point in excusing women from corporal punishment.

Speaking at a kgotla meeting addressed by the MP for Kweneng South, Gladys Kokorwe, Gobuamang, together with some residents of Thamaga, said government was soft on women when they commit crime.

Gobuamang told village elders to maintain the practice of caning wrongdoers at family level, regardless of the gender of the culprit.

Recently, Parliament amended the Penal Code to provide for corporal punishment instead of imprisoning misdemeanour convicts as the penitentiaries are overcrowded.

Driver Motlokwa, a nominated councillor, suggested that when several people have to be lashed at a time, a separate cane should be used to avoid the possible spread of HIV.

[....]

News Source: All local news stories were supplied by the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA)

Corpun file 15082

Botswana Daily News On Line, 24 January 2005

Venson thanks voters

(extracts)

SEROWE - The MP for Serowe South Pelonomi Venson has thanked constituents for voting for her in the last general election.

Addressing a series of kgotla meetings, she said her role was that of a servant as the constituency belonged to them.

Venson, who is also the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, said she had also come to consult with the constituents as she had not had the opportunity to meet them since the elections.

[....]

Venson, addressed kgotla meetings at Moiyabana, Motshegaletau, Thabala and Mogorosi. She also briefed her constituents on corporal punishment and the abolition of marital power bills passed by the last sitting of Parliament.

She said other issues discussed such as the Aviation Bill did not concern her constituents, as they did not even have decent roads, let alone airports and aircraft.

Venson said the corporal punishment bill had extended the use of corporal punishment on males committing criminal offences to 40 years to try and curb overcrowding in jails.

She asked her constituents to give their opinions regarding the administration of corporal punishment on females as some parliamentarians had suggested that women should be lashed for corporal offences.

The other issue concerned reverting to the old practice of administering corporal punishment on the body, instead of the buttocks.

[....]

Corpun file 15079

Botswana Daily News Online, 25 January 2005

Residents welcome amendment

FRANCISTOWN - Residents of Francistown South have welcomed the amendment of the Marriage Act, saying it now puts women on the same level with men.

Addressing kgotla meetings at Boikhutso ward , the area MP Khumongwana Maoto said that the new amendments would give women equal say in the marriage as women had been on the receiving end.

"This new law encourages consultation between the spouses," Maoto said. He further stated that the amendment of the Marriage Act does not give women the right to disrespect their husbands but a chance for them to have equal opportunities as their husbands.

On the issue of administration of corporal punishment on women, Maoto said the administration might seriously damage the skin.

He told his audience that corporal punishment is to be administered only to men below the age of 40.

Even though many men accepted the government's decision of sparing women, many felt that they should also be punished as women are now involved in a lot of criminal activities.

However, the MP said that the abolition of marital power would only become law after it had been signed by President Festus Mogae. BOPA  

Corpun file 15078

Botswana Daily News Online, 25 January 2005

'Foreigners convicted here must be lashed'

(extract)

MAHALAPYE - Tswapong South MP Oreeditse Molebatsi, says the amendment of the Penal Code would ensure that corporal punishment is administered on foreigners convicted in Botswana courts.

Molebatsi was addressing a series of kgotla meetings at Machaneng, Matlhako, Chadibe, Borotsi and Mokobeng, during a familiarisation tour of his constituency.

Molebatsi said the amendment states that corporal punishment should be administered on all males between 18 and 40 years of age convicted and given light sentences, while female convicts would be imprisoned.

The Tswapong MP told his constituents that corporal punishment could not be applied on females because of their sensitive physical makeup.

He said that the amendment was meant to reduce congestion in the country's prisons.

However, the electorate argued that corporal punishment should be equally administered on females as they often commit more serious offences than their male counterparts.

They, however, said that they preferred corporal punishment to be administered on the back instead of on the buttocks, as is currently the case now.

Tswapong South residents dismissed the argument that if corporal punishment were applied on the back it could cause physical harm to the recipient, arguing that they were often beaten during their youth but never suffered any physical damage.

[.....] BOPA