Botswana: The men and women of Goodhope and Mmathethe met at the kgotla to discuss GBV, suicides and social ills at their respective dikgotla.
Moruti Kgosi George Thwane, who is also a member of the Gender Commission, said that men should learn to open up and not keep things bottled inside when they face adversities in their lives.
He encouraged men to find ways to manage their anger by getting involved in recreational activities such as reading, running or playing soccer. He discouraged the use of alcohol and drugs as a remedy to forget their problems as it is not a long-term and sustainable solution. He further talked about the importance of having emotional intelligence, which is positively managing emotions to relieve stress.
Mental Psychiatric Nurse Moses Kgaodi encouraged men to visit their health facilities when they don’t feel mentally and emotionally well and also complete their counselling sessions so that they can be well and healed.
Kgaodi alluded that men face a lot of pressure as the providers of the family and become prone to depression and stress. He stated that they recorded 6 suicides and 8 attempted suicides, which is quite alarming in Goodhope. He indicated that mental issues can be treated when they are addressed timeously.
In Mmathethe, the residents came in large numbers to address the social ills that are occurring in their village as it’s tormented by gang leaders who commit crimes in their village. They pointed out the high drug cases with their children, the murder cases, stock theft and the mugging of the elderly just to mention but a few.
Principal Gender Officer Lentswe Motsamai explained that International Men’s Day was held in this area as Borolong has the highest GBV cases in the country. He stated that the number of suicides was 220 so far this year, which is an alarming number.
This year’s theme is “Zero male suicides” to address these issues that lead men to suicide.
Omphile Makhokhoba, Men Sector Goodhope Secretary, stated that men, as leaders of their families, should not abuse their power to oppress their family members. He said all should also note that men, too, are fragile and should be treated with the utmost respect.
He also noted that children should be groomed and guided to be respectful individuals so that they fit into society as upright individuals.
IMD 2023 will be officially launched on the 17th of November 2023 at Pitsane village, Goodhope.