Dear Editor
Please allow me to openly express my disgust at Hosiah Motlhalawapitse’s letter that argues for the legalisation of “sex tourism”, published your last week’s edition.
I consider the suggestion as twaddle, an insult to our women and disparaging to our government’s capability to develop meaningful and moral ways of poverty alleviation.
It is an affront to Batswana women that Motlhalawapitse suggests they should be reduced to the level of wildlife and our magnificent flora and fauna by subjecting them to the humiliation of being tourist attractions on the basis of their sexuality. I wonder why we, as a nation, should accept such human trade and even be asked to consider it intelligently. Why Motlhalawapitse as an intelligent man, that I assume he is, living in this century should argue for the sale of women is beyond my understanding.
Part of the problem with person’s like Motlhalawapitse’s argument is because they imagine prostitutes as other people’s sisters; other people’s aunts, other people’s mothers and other people’s daughters ÔÇô not relating to them directly. They dehumanise women they wish for prostitution. They reduce them from being intelligent beings to the level of wild beasts and then move swiftly to commodify them. After emptying such women of every imaginable humanity, they flip the argument and paint such women as lucky and fortunate to be making a bit of profit by selling themselves! What disgust!
Over the past 10 years, we have seen a steady increase in Botswana’s tourism that has gone far to diversify our national economy. To suggest that such tourism should be extended to the sale of female sex is insulting, piteous and the greatest expression of human debauchery.
The government has availed many lucrative ventures that citizens of this country can exploit. Amongst these being CEDA, services offered by LEA, possible partnerships with foreign companies and the young farmers fund. To argue that we can put our daughters on sale is senseless immorality that exposes a lack of a creative mind.
Some have been arguing that we should dismount our moral high horse when dealing with matters such as these and appreciate their financial gain.
The argument is absurd, perverse and nonsensical. Without morality what is wrong with paedophilia? Without morality what is wrong with the Zimbabwean political situation? Without morality, corruption, slavery, rape, bestiality and murder are angelic!
The fact that we can tolerate Motlhalawapitse’s views demonstrates how as a nation we have heeled away from the solid moral foundations established by our fore-fathers and mothers. Perhaps, as a nation, we need a period of soul-searching and restore our relationship with God our creator who will satisfy our heart’s desires ungrudgingly.
Isaac Lesole
Francistown
