Botswana's women's groups have vowed to expose the growing rate of incest - particularly the rape of young girls by their step fathers-despite being castigated for interfering in "family secrets". Incest is generally condemned as abhorrent in Botswana and referred to as 'botlhodi'-a term suggesting blasphemy or an unnatural event. Elders say that traditionally men who committed the crime were banished from the community and sent to live amongst wild animals.However, recent research commissioned by the department of women's affairs suggests incest is on the rise and in some cases becoming more acceptable. Of 704 interviewees, eight percent in the 16-30 age bracket said verbal abuse is unacceptable but only three percent said incest is unacceptable.  

The study found that incest is normally associated with traditional rural areas, but that a significant 28 percent of people living in semi-urban areas believe that incest is a common occurrence. Women Against Rape (WAR), Botswana's only rape crisis centre, has spent the past year focusing on incest and defilement during community workshops held throughout the Northwest part of the country. Incest is now the second most common offence they handle, after seven years of operation. Women in Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) has also carried out research into incest in the district, and confirms that incest is "happening all the time" although there are still no nationwide figures. Cases of incest are notoriously complicated to prosecute. Mothers often side with the perpetrator, especially if he is the bread-winner. The women argue that if the man is jailed then years of economic hardship may lie ahead-even though in reality it is usually the woman who earns most of the family income. In one recent case in the north of the country a 10-year-old was repeatedly raped by her step-father. Eventually she told her aunt who took her to the police and the step-father was arrested. But the furious mother threatened to beat the aunt and, even though her husband had admitted to the rape, persuaded her daughter to withdraw the charges. Within 48 hours the man was released and returned home. All the documents, including medical reports, needed for the court case went missing. And the girl suddenly refused to talk. However, after pressure from WAR, the step-father was taken into custody again. A week later all the missing documents were handed to the police.

But when the case reached court, the mother then hid all the witnesses. In an unusual move, she was charged with contempt of court and sent to jail for 14 days. In another recent incident an 11-year-old girl was raped by her step-father while her mother was away from home. "He covered my eyes with a pillow and laid his big body on me," explained the girl. "He started to hurt me and that was the part I hated. When I screamed, he said I should calm down and relax." Such rapists take full advantage of a worrying legal loophole. Incest is currently defined under criminal law as carnal knowledge between a person and his or her grandchild, child, brother, sister or parents. It carries a maximum jail term of just five years, or life if the victim is under 16. The law does not, however, mention step-relations or others in the extended family, and the majority of incest appears to be perpetrated by step-fathers and uncles. Maternal uncles in particular are accorded a special place in Setswana culture and play an important role in family affairs. Many children revere their uncle, he gives them gifts and they return the favour. One traditional song suggests that uncles have taken advantage of this relationship in the past. The song takes the form of a dialogue between an uncle and niece as they travel somewhere together by foot. "Niece, bring out the gifts," says the uncle. "What gifts, uncle?" asks the niece. "Even a thigh is a gift," the uncle chillingly responds. For one 18-year-old the abuse began when she was just six. Her father died and she was adopted by her uncle. The uncle would come to her room and tell her that she would be his wife as soon as his present wife died. After several years of assault, the girl told her aunt. The aunt advised her niece to keep quiet, saying she had also been abused as a child and as she had survived so would her niece. When the girl turned 18 she reported the matter to a women's organisation. The uncle found out and quickly whisked his niece out of town and sent her far away to the cattle post. The girl was so afraid she would lose her home that she begged the agency not to take the matter any further. Local police are increasingly upset and frustrated about how to handle such cases. They say their hands are tied because the perpetrator often pays the girl's immediate family to drop the charges-sometimes "buying" the family's silence for as little as US$75. However, the police are, in turn, accused of a tendency of referring incest cases back to chiefs or the extended family to be solved "internally". For children who are abused it is extremely hard to talk, let alone report the matter to outside authorities. Girls are taught that it is culturally unacceptable for them to talk about matters that occur within the family. A girl is also expected to keep quiet about anything to do with sex, whatever her rights may be on paper. Mothers, meanwhile, have been taught to guard family "secrets" at all costs. "Many people feel that WAR should not interfere in incest cases," reads the group's annual report. "While there is abuse of this nature continuing in Botswana, WAR will continue to interfere." Others want to "interfere" as well.

Several communities have suggested starting neighbourhood watch schemes, others want to form vigilante groups which would report suspected cases of incest to social workers and the police. Earlier this year WAR invited a guest speaker from South Africa to try and break the silence around incest. Counselor Myra Boshoff told a public gathering how she was abused at the age of four by a "friend" of the family. Many years later, her own child was raped by her husband. "Why do we protect them?" she asked. "The abusers are the enemy. We must stand together as women of the community and protect our children. The only weapon against abusers is to educate our children." by (c) Caitlin Davies Maun, Africa Information Afrique,  the World Conference on Religion and Peace.

© Speak Out Terms of use