FRANCISTOWN: There was unusual commotion at the Francistown bus/taxi rank on Tuesday afternoon when a woman wearing a miniskirt was stripped naked by unruly taxi drivers.
The woman clad in a skimpy skirt, had just entered the bus rank and passed the vendors in front of the waiting room on her way to the combis on the other side. As she strolled into the rank, she met raging drivers and conductors who shouted at her, "Ga wa apara, tsamaya o ye go apara (You are not dressed up. Go and dress up)!"
Some of the drivers began hooting in their combis, while others booed wildly. Suddenly the rank became a symphony of impassioned booing and hooting as others joined in the craze and began violently undressing the lady. The excitement reached fever pitch, with jumping and prancing about as the drivers took pictures of the woman with their camera phones, in apparent enjoyment of their actions.
Clad only in panties the tearful young lady desperately struggled to escape and finally managed to disappear into the Botswana Railway houses that are across the railway line.
A woman who seemed to have been pained by the taxi driver's behaviour said: "This is totally unacceptable behaviour. Who gives these taxi drivers the right to dictate what people should wear and not wear. What if it was your sister or girlfriend?"
A taxi driver, Badiredi Motswaledi said women should not come to the rank dressed in revealing clothes as it is disrespectful to them (taxi drivers).
"I think these women should be stripped so that they do not repeat the same thing again," he said.
For Mompati Seepo, who is also a taxi driver, mini-skirts, skinny jeans and other revealing clothes are not acceptable. He however does not agree that one has to be stripped if people feel they are indecently dressed.
"They should try to talk to that person and show them that what they are wearing is not proper," said Seepo.
Mbiganyi Ndzimumbi said he believes that people should dress the way they like. He said stripping the person of what she is wearing is taking the law into one's hands and should not be allowed to happen.
"If there is a law that prohibits women from wearing skimpy dresses then the best way to deal with such a situation is to report the matter to the relevant authorities," said 61-year-old Ndzimumbi.
A rank marshal for Monarch-bound taxis, Botshelo Lesego said although he feels that women should not wear revealing clothes, he feels people should not harass them either as that could get them into trouble. He said when a woman comes out of the house they should ask themselves if what they are wearing is decent or not.
"Perhaps what angers the taxi drivers is that the women do not respect the rank. They come here without considering what the people in the rank may feel about their dresses," he said.
However, deputy station commander for Kutlwano Police, assistant superintendent Alec Marula said they have not yet received any reports of the act. He said he is aware that incidences where women are stripped for dressing in revealing clothes sometimes occur.,
According to Marula, a person can be charged with indecent assault or common nuisance for harassing a woman to the extent of stripping them.
He said most of the time perpetrators are not even aware that they are committing an offence by just booing at someone.
"The law does not allow people to intimidate anyone into dressing up the way they want them to. Everyone is free to dress the way he or she wants," he commented.
Marula however said the law does not allow anyone to expose their private parts..
Some of the drivers began hooting in their combis, while others booed wildly. Suddenly the rank became a symphony of impassioned booing and hooting as others joined in the craze and began violently undressing the lady. The excitement reached fever pitch, with jumping and prancing about as the drivers took pictures of the woman with their camera phones, in apparent enjoyment of their actions.
Clad only in panties the tearful young lady desperately struggled to escape and finally managed to disappear into the Botswana Railway houses that are across the railway line.
A woman who seemed to have been pained by the taxi driver's behaviour said: "This is totally unacceptable behaviour. Who gives these taxi drivers the right to dictate what people should wear and not wear. What if it was your sister or girlfriend?"
A taxi driver, Badiredi Motswaledi said women should not come to the rank dressed in revealing clothes as it is disrespectful to them (taxi drivers).
"I think these women should be stripped so that they do not repeat the same thing again," he said.
For Mompati Seepo, who is also a taxi driver, mini-skirts, skinny jeans and other revealing clothes are not acceptable. He however does not agree that one has to be stripped if people feel they are indecently dressed.
"They should try to talk to that person and show them that what they are wearing is not proper," said Seepo.
Mbiganyi Ndzimumbi said he believes that people should dress the way they like. He said stripping the person of what she is wearing is taking the law into one's hands and should not be allowed to happen.
"If there is a law that prohibits women from wearing skimpy dresses then the best way to deal with such a situation is to report the matter to the relevant authorities," said 61-year-old Ndzimumbi.
A rank marshal for Monarch-bound taxis, Botshelo Lesego said although he feels that women should not wear revealing clothes, he feels people should not harass them either as that could get them into trouble. He said when a woman comes out of the house they should ask themselves if what they are wearing is decent or not.
"Perhaps what angers the taxi drivers is that the women do not respect the rank. They come here without considering what the people in the rank may feel about their dresses," he said.
However, deputy station commander for Kutlwano Police, assistant superintendent Alec Marula said they have not yet received any reports of the act. He said he is aware that incidences where women are stripped for dressing in revealing clothes sometimes occur.,
According to Marula, a person can be charged with indecent assault or common nuisance for harassing a woman to the extent of stripping them.
He said most of the time perpetrators are not even aware that they are committing an offence by just booing at someone.
"The law does not allow people to intimidate anyone into dressing up the way they want them to. Everyone is free to dress the way he or she wants," he commented.
Marula however said the law does not allow anyone to expose their private parts..
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