AFRICANEWS
BOTSWANAWhere is justice?by James Mathokgwane (558 words)
In 1994, in a small location within Gaborone, a child disappeared and was believed to have been snatched by a Sangoma (a traditional doctor) who turned her into a zombie. Riots later engulfed Gaborone and a lot of property was destroyed and many people including the Police were injured. Fourteen year-old Segametsi Mogotsi's body had been found dumped near her school in Mochudi in the outskirts of Gaborone, the Botswana capital. The body had been mutilated and some of her organs were missing. Influential people were implicated, arrested and later released sparking the violent demonstrations which left one person dead and scores of others injured. Some people were later arrested and charged with rioting. In addition, five year-old Basadibotkhe Makgotla disappeared from Mnankgodi, a village not far away from the capital. The violence and destruction of property that followed should, however, not be regarded as a normal occurrence that follows such disappearances. It should instead be seen as signal by the Botswanans to their government that the powerful and rich in the community must not be allowed to trample down on the rights of the ordinary people. The Botswana legal system does not recognise the existence of witchcraft - a practice common among the Sotswana community. But the disappearance of children in this country is almost always associated with ritual murder. And ritual murder is believed to be practised by people who want to either strengthen their political power base or businesses. It is not surprising, therefore, that business people and influential politicians end up being key suspects in ritual murder cases. The ordinary person in Botwsana is becoming increasingly worried that little headway is seemingly being made in resolving the mystery of the cases involving the ritual murder of children like Segametsi Magotsi. Indeed, the spotlight is being turned on the country's security apparatus whose sloppiness some believe is at the root of their inability to resolve the ritual murder cases. Yet most Botswanans believe that the police refrain - "investigations are continuing" - is just a smokescreen. The police, far from working hard to get to the bottom of the ritual murder cases seem to be putting every effort at protecting the perpetrators of the crimes. Contrast the firmness with which the security personnel acted when the people took to the streets to demonstrate against the ritual murders and the dilly-dallying that has marked their investigations. Many demonstrators have been arrested and charged with arson. Yet little seems to be happening in bringing ritual murderers to book. To be sure, Botswanans do not support violence and destruction of property. Yet the apparent inertia in resolving the ritual murder is beginning to get into their nerves and their patience is now wearing thin. That the ritual murder cases have taken so long to resolve is to many Botswanans a clear indication that the rich in the society can do whatever they want and get away with it. The message from the government seems to be that the rich and the powerful can kill and steal and still walk the streets as free men and women. The demonstrations were in effect sending the following question to the government: "Where is justice?" What the government does by arresting and imprisoning the protesters is to avoid dealing with the real causes of their anger - that is, getting to the root of the child ritual murder cases. Indeed, the government harassment of protesters is comparable to the action of the man in the story who ran after the rat that was escaping from his burning hut! And despite Botswana's impressive economic performance - some call the country the Switzerland of Africa - poverty and unemployment are still real problems. The protests over ritual murders are also an indication that the hour of reckoning is nigh: that the social ills afflicting the country require serious attention, not glossing over, that all Botwsanans - rich or poor - must be treated equally before the law.
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