Corpun file 18520
The Voice, Francistown, 16 October 2006
Naughty bouncer gets a taste of his own medicine
By Mpho Motswakhumo
A bouncer at Millennium bar in Gaborone was this week in court for assaulting a bar attendant.
Details of the case are that on the 2nd of October 2006 an argument ensued between the bouncer, Victor Dikgang, 31 and 24-year-old bar attendant Goabaone Moilakgang after the bar attendant reminded the accused that he had not paid for a beer he drank earlier during that day.
The prosecutor told the court that the following day the muscular bouncer allegedly jumped on top of the counter and started beating the bar attendant.
It is reported that efforts by other staff members to stop the fight proved futile.
The prosecutor requested the court to give Dikgang a stiff punishment since cases of this nature involving women assaulted by men have became common.
During mitigation, Dikgang pleaded with the court not to send him to jail because he was responsible for taking care of his mother in Francistown.
Court president Kgosimotse Sebele said, "what you did is wrong and you can go to jail for not more than 12 months or pay P500 cash. As the prosecutor has just said, these kinds of cases are a serious concern especially in Gaborone but I will not send you to jail nor make you pay because your innocent mother would suffer because of your actions.
"However justice has to be done and therefore you shall be beaten on your bare buttocks."
Copyright © The Voice 2005
Corpun file 18561
Botswana Daily News Online, 23 October 2006
Pupils trade books for commercial sex
(extracts)
FRANCISTOWN - Some standard six and seven pupils at Gweta Primary School are selling their bodies to truck drivers at the Gweta T-junction along the Francistown/ Maun road.
Alfred Lesetedi, the school head, admitted the fact in an interview. I am not sure if I have to speak to you, but it is true that some students from my school have abandoned classes to prostitute themselves to drivers at the T-junction.
He said the students whose ages range from 11 to 17 are mostly Basarwa children from poor families. The children are registered under the destitute programme.
We are investigating a defilement case involving an 11-year-old girl who is pregnant, he said. A social worker and a guidance teacher has been engaged to counsel the children.
Ms Chawapa Malongwa, a social worker in the village said they have identified six pupils who prostitute themselves to truck-drivers.
The truck drivers travel to Zambia from South Africa via Botswana. Ms Malongwa said they once brought some men to the Kgotla on suspicions of having had sexual intercourse with the children.
She said the men were given five strokes each and released after pleading guilty.
She, however, said it is not easy to charge the men properly due to lack of concrete evidence to prosecute them.
Ms Malongwa said she has made a report to the Ministry of Education about the situation. There is a lot of sexual abuse of children by villagers, government officials and elders in this village, but it is difficult to dig out evidence to prosecute.
[...]
Senior Subordinate Tribal Authority, Lesupang Mapini said he sentenced the culprits to corporal punishment in August after they admitted that they had sex with primary school pupils.
Mr Mapini said he could not take the men to the magistrate courts, as he had wanted to warn them to desist from indulging in sexual activities with the children.
He said they have consulted village elders on the issue and agreed that corporal punishment be applied. We beat 24 children in August and the situation is improving, he said.
Gweta Station commander, Jorowe Vusimusi said they have received some reports of defilement but regretted that they could not come up with evidence.
[...]
News Source: All local news stories were supplied by the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA)
