Gender-based violence (GBV) has been flagged as an open wound by government officials who attended the National Women’s Day commemoration event on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Silahla Sports Field in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal, premier candidate Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the country needs to revisit sexist and patriarchal attitudes as the main causes of GBV which “end up making men treat women as their objects, as inferior, or as second-class citizens”.
Dube-Ncube urged South African men to help combat the scourge of GBV.
“On Women’s Day, we make an impassioned, clarion call to all the good men of our province to take a lead in the fight against the scourge of GBV and femicide. It will take men themselves to impart good values to boy children,” said Dube-Ncube.
She also called on parents to play an active role and pay special attention to their boy children, asking them to nurture them in a manner that enables a girl child to feel safe and secure in their presence.
“We urge parents, including mothers, to be active in bringing up boys who will honour and respect the dignity of girls and women. We invite our religious leaders, traditional leaders, and citizens with a public profile to this fight against GBV. We thank our stars in the creative sector and media personalities who are taking a stand against GBV.
“Yes, we must tighten the laws. Yes, we must ensure that offenders get heavy sentences that will deter the crime of GBV and femicide.
“And yes, as government and society we must support the victims of GBV instead of blaming them or discriminating against them as if they are the cause of the violence.
“But the crimes of GBV are often committed by people known to women in the comfort of our homes, in bedrooms and boardrooms – literally everywhere. It is a crime that policing and laws alone cannot fix.
“Our generation needs to get on the greatest campaign of our lives – to build the new South African man – a model man who detests violence, a man who honours the dignity and humanity of women. It is still possible. We cannot procrastinate. We dare not linger.”
Dube-Ncube was joined by President Cyril Ramaphosa who also touched on the hardships faced by many women. Ramaphosa elaborated that women are subjected to abuse in various areas including their workplaces, stating that they are prompted to render sexual favours for opportunities.
The president said men are to blame for all the crimes committed against women and added that women are not safe, even in their own homes, because of abusive partners.
“Silence is the dark corner in which women are abused and raped. Silence is a cancer that eats away at women who protect their men and boyfriends who abuse them because they give them money,” said Ramaphosa.
“We gather here and say we will build a non-sexist society. There is no reason whatsoever for us to think that men are better than women.”
In a joint statement on Tuesday, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, called on the police to use all the resources to combat GBV.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said: “The presiding officers have called on law-enforcement authorities and the courts to utilise all available legal instruments to protect women and children and leave no stone unturned to ensure severe sanctions on those guilty of the rapes.
“Such barbaric behaviour has no place in South Africa. They [Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo] called on all South Africans to be active citizens and join hands to continue fighting this scourge. Parliament urges all men to play an active role in preventing all forms of abuse, particularly GBV and femicide.
“Today we urge all South Africans to work together in order for the next generation to inherit a South Africa free from all social ills.”
According to Mothapo, women continue to bare the most tremendous burden than men in terms of poverty, inequalities, and GBV.
“The crime statistics for the first three months of 2022 painted a horrific picture of the extent of violence women and children in South Africa face. According to the crime stats, 13 799 sexual offences were reported to the police between January and March 2022, of which 10 818 were cases of rape.”
Meanwhile, DA spokesperson for community safety in Gauteng, Crezane Bosch, said a lack of prioritisation of crimes against women leaves no room to celebrate Women’s Day.
“On this Women’s Day, we are supposed to be celebrating freedom, but we should bow our heads in shame as our provincial government has failed the women of Gauteng, who are still the biggest victims of rape, murder, assault, and serious crimes,” Bosch said.
According to Bosch, the DA believes the department needs to allow for a “whole society approach” where experts, non-profit organisations, and various other stakeholders are permitted to lend a helping hand.
“The DA calls on the MEC for community safety, Faith Mazibuko, to establish a GBV advisory committee with the task to investigate and interrogate crime trends against women and children within Gauteng.
“The committee will also identify hotspots, challenges, and contributing factors. This committee should consist of experts in the field, both from the community safety department, police force, social workers, non-government organisations dealing with GBV, and other relevant expert stakeholders.
“We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to gender-based violence and the rising crime stats against women in our province. We need to get to the root of the problem and find tangible solutions,” said Bosch.
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