*Sebina saga survivor calls for tougher laws against child predators
In a country rocked by a sickening wave of child abuse, sexual abuse survivor Neo Phetogang has broken her silence to call for tougher punishment against perpetrators and stronger protection for vulnerable children.
Phetogang, who became widely known following the controversial “Sebina Saga” back in 2016, says government needs to take a far more aggressive approach in dealing with sexual offenders, arguing that the current system is failing victims and their families.
The case which sparked national uproar nearly a decade ago, linked former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councillor Kemmonye Amon to allegations involving Phetogang when she was still a teenager.
While the matter triggered public outrage at the time, with pressure groups rallying incensed members of the public against child abuse chanting the ‘eseng mo ngwaneng’ slogan, Phetogang says the prolonged legal process and lack of closure have left her deeply disappointed.
“Harsher sentences will send a strong message to perpetrators,” said Phetogang in an interview.
“There is no reason that justifies sexual abuse to a girl child. These men need to know they are supposed to be protectors, not predators.”
Phetogang’s own story is a mirror for the thousands of young girls across the nation whose lives have been shattered by sexual predators.
For years, she watched as the wheels of justice ground to a dead halt, leaving her and many others hanging out to dry. Now, determined to use her experience to advocate for survivors, Phetogang says she wants to help raise awareness and encourage victims not to suffer in silence.
She however admits she has lost faith in the justice system after waiting years for progress in her own case.
“A case that involved someone in a position of leadership was not given the attention it deserved. The last time I heard about the case was in 2021 when Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) called me to give me an update on the case,” she said.
According to Phetogang, DPP informed her that because she was 16 at the time of the alleged assault, then considered the legal age of consent, a charge of defilement was not going to stand.
“I have given up. I have accepted what I went through. I feel they should stop pursuing the case because I don’t have the energy to keep following up,” she added.
Despite her traumatic experience, Phetogang managed to return to school after initially dropping out. She credits teachers at Maun Senior secondary School for giving her emotional and academic support during one of her darkest periods in life.
“I was very lucky because my teachers made a follow-up after I dropped out from school. They encouraged me to continue with school until I completed my Form Five and later graduated from the University of Botswana with a teaching degree,” she said.
Although she remains unemployed and hanging onto hope to secure a job and support herself and her daughter, Phetogang knows that many survivors are not as fortunate.
She is aware that many girls who fall pregnant or experience abuse often never return to school due to stigma, trauma and lack of support.
Statistics Botswana’s 2022 Annual School Census shows that there were 201 school dropouts due to pregnancy in junior secondary schools while 161 were recorded in senior secondary schools.
Meanwhile the latest Botswana Police Service (BPS) annual report has sounded a red alert about reported defilement cases for year 2023/2024 which stood at 1,753 while 1,668 cases were reported in 2024/2025.
“Those numbers are depressing to look at. It’s clear that despite all the talk, we are still facing a massive challenge. We aren’t winning this war yet,” Phetogang said.
Human rights activist and Success Capital Director, Dumi Gacha, is also concerned at delays and poor handling of sexual violence cases.
Gacha explained that there is a trend where victims and survivors are not getting the courtesy from law enforcement and prosecution about the progress on their cases.
“Last year we had a case in Letlhakane where police refused to investigate a sexual violence case involving a teenager. A teenage girl was even rebuked by her family not to pursue a case,” said Gacha.
Gacha indicated that they could not assist further due to limited resources to attend to the case, but it became clear that she was no longer willing to go through the entire ordeal again even though the NGO was guiding her telephonically.
Gacha stated that in a more recent case in February, a psychologist reached out to Success Capital to assist with a case in Mochudi where a mother had to move to a new place for safety.
“It was only after we got involved that the investigating officer started helping. When they hear that we are involved that’s when they start acting because I personally escalate this issues beyond the station commander if I have to,” added Gacha.
As sexual abuse statistics continue to rise, Phetogang says government must prioritise survivor support, faster investigations and tougher sentencing if it hopes to win the fight against sexual violence.
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