YEARS OF SUFFERING END
Somalia landmine victim Matthys finally gets house
Former Lance Corporal Jacobus Jan Matthys is elated at the gesture by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) which has built him a house that he desperately needed.
BDF handed over a two-bedroomed house in Struizendam to Matthys. Serving as part of a peacekeeping operation of the United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNOSOM) forces in 1993, Jacobus Matthys stepped on a Chinese land mine grenade which severed both his legs right above each knee. Matthys now uses prosthetic legs and crutches to move around, as well as a wheel chair.
The amputation of both his legs led to Matthys being a Registry Officer until the year 2005 when he was dismissed from the BDF on medical grounds. At the handing over ceremony, the Chief of Struizendam Kgosi Isaac Titus expressed gratitude at what the BDF has done for one of his community members. “Because of our remoteness it is not easy to construct a house. Often the cost of building one is higher than those in other areas. ”Kgosi Titus applauded the BDF for taking care of
an individual who has contributed to the peace and security of Botswana and Africa. Brigadier Edison Molale noted that the BDF has a rich history of being involved in Corporate Social Responsibility work around Botswana.
The project named ‘Jacobus Matthys’ was commissioned by the Commander of the armed forces of Botswana Lieutenant General Placid Diratsagae Segokgo and had an initial objective of raising P600 000 but they did not reach it. Brigadier Molale stated that the project should have been finished in March 2022 but it delayed because of challenges of inconsistent supply of water and equipment such as excavators. The Commander of the BDF Lieutenant General Placid Diratsagae Segokgo stated
that the handover ceremony is a celebration of the goodness of the hearts of Batswana. “Jacobus Matthys served diligently in this mission, and due to circumstances beyond his control, he fell victim to an unfortunate injury that left him handicapped.”
Lt. Gen. Segokgo noted that Matthys’ service to the nation has touched many lives and donating a house to him may be a way to show gratitude for his service. BDF members helped fund the project at the tune of P380 000. Barloworld and Glen Valley Barracks Women’s Club contributed P35 000 and P16 000 respectively. “This act of kindness has brought immense change to someone’s life, and I am heavily indebted to all of you,” Lt. Gen, Segokgo said, adding that what the society has done in donating to the building project echoes the national core value of Botho. In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Jacobus Matthys said that after his tenure ended at the BDF, he had no source of income and was living with his mother. Unable to move around freely, Matthys found it hard to provide for his five children as his condition crippled him not only physically but it also bound him to his mother’s homestead with no means of making a living. Matthys is from Struizendam, which is 847 km away from Gaborone, right at the edge of the Botswana South Africa borderline. Matthys says for years he had lost hope until the BDF committed to helping him through their community service initiative. The house has spacious rooms with amenities such as wheelchair ramp at the entrance and a user-friendly bathroom which has handles by the toilet seat and in the shower. When asked whether or not members of the BDF who had been deployed in Somalia had been paid for the services rendered in the peace keeping mission, the Botswana Defence Force Spokesperson Colonel Maswabi stated that all members of the BDF who had been deployed in Somalia had been paid.