The Department had a two-day Gender-Based Violence and Femicide awareness campaign from 11 - 12 May to decisively deal with the concerning rate of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, North West Province.
Gender-Based Violence & Femicide (GBV&F) is a form of brutality that disproportionately affects people of a particular gender. This pandemic has spread like wildfire across the nation and has been deemed a severe threat to the freedom and safety of women and children in our communities.
Sello Lehari, the North West MEC for the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, was in charge of the Gender-Based Violence & Femicide Awareness Campaign in Letlhabile, part of the Madibeng Local Municipality. According to statistics, the number of GBV&F cases in the area has skyrocketed. Letlhabile Police Station ranked 15 out of 85 police stations in the province according to various criminal cases recorded thus far.
Young people, both male and female and adults, gathered where members of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster were also interacting with and enlightening the neighbourhood about the origins and effects of GBVF in society. This is one of the regions where an increasing number of cases claimed to have resulted from conflicts and violence at pubs and pubs.
"South African Police Service (SAPS) is working hard to combat or reduce GBV&F in Letlhabile and surrounding areas, but our community members who are victims make it difficult for police, prosecutors, and courts to execute their duties properly by withdrawing cases after certain agreements with perpetrators. After the withdrawal of the abuse, rape, and murder case, perpetrators repeated the same criminality and turned the country into a lawless society," said MEC Sello Lehari when addressing community members of Letlhabile.
MEC Lehari also asked community members to fight this pandemic, threatening public safety and stealing people's freedom. To create a safe and conducive environment for everyone, he urged all men's organisations and other organisations to set an example and be able to report anyone who commits violence or acts of abuse against women and children to law enforcement agencies.
Gender-based violence can take many different forms—physical violence, verbal violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, socio-economic violence, domestic violence in intimate relationships, and sexual harassment, and it doesn't discriminate based on race or colour.
The Department coordinated various stakeholders in a District Development Model (DDM) requirement to halt the spread of GBV&F in the Bojanala District. Stakeholders included the South African Police Service (SAPS), Department of Home Affairs, Department of Social Development, National Prosecuting Agency (NPA), Local Tribal Council, Community Policing Forum (CPF), Department of Correctional Service, and Faith-Based Organisations.
Mr Collen Madie, recently released from prison, stated that people ignore GBV cases without realising they may face murder charges. "It is highly possible that when you assault someone, the person can die, and you face murder charges. People think life in prison is nice, but for the period I've spent in prison, it is a place that I will never wish for anyone to live in. In reality, it is challenging inside," said Madie, the rehabilitated ex-offenders.
