Johannesburg- Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathele has urged the business sector to play a role in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
The Deputy Minister said men in the business sector can no longer turn a blind eye to the battle against the country’s vulnerable citizens.
He made the remarks during the opening of a new Victim Empowerment Centre, donated by Anglo American Platinum, at the Thabazimbi police station, in Limpopo, on Thursday.
The mining conglomerate donated the centre as part of its social responsibility to the community in the fight against GBVF.
“We must rise and say: ‘No! Not in my name, enough is enough!’. As the police service, we have vowed to treat crimes against women, children and vulnerable groups sensitively, professionally and effectively. This facility that Anglo American is handing over today, gets us closer to achieving our vision. It is our collective responsibility as the community to protect women and children and to protect each other. I therefore call upon each and every one of us to commit in doing everything in our power and within the law to fight the scourge of GBVF,” he said.
The centre was opened during a community engagement led by Mathale. The Deputy Minister was accompanied by MEC for Transport and Community Safety Mavhungu-Lerule Ramakhanya, MEC for Social Development Nkakareng Rakgoale and the Provincial South African Police Service (SAPS) Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.
In a statement, the SAPS said the facility, which is situated at Group 5 section, will cater to all victims and survivors of crime and violence, so that the police can deal with the impact of incidents in full.
“The SAPS was the leading department in the country’s fight against crime in general including the scourge of gender-based violence. This includes addressing a number of key objectives such as strengthening the capacities of the existing prevention programmes, focusing on development and implementation of prevention and intervention programmes to help the fight against this phenomenon and assist the victims,” he said.
The Waterberg District and Anglo American Platinum gave messages of support and committed their unconditional support for the police in their endeavours to fight against criminal activities, and in particular GBVF.
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