By Thabisile at Amandla,
Last week, the office of the Presidency released a statement asking men all over the country to pledge their names in an effort to curb GBV. How have men pledging to end GBV ever solved a GBV crisis? It is really unfortunate that the President and Deputy President minimised GBV solutions to performative exercises, while women’s shelters are closing due to budget cuts.
This past week alone, there have been hair-raising reports of how female traffic officer Bianca Khuzwayo was fatally stabbed by her boyfriend, who then recorded her taking her last breath and posted these graphic images on social media. This level of cruelty should be meted with the punishment it deserves. Our government, law enforcers and those whom we are supposed to feel safe around have failed us as women. We should all be worried at how the scourge of GBV has spread uncontrollably when enforcers of the law can be so brazen and unashamed in how they harm women.
Demand Justice for Relebohile Mofokeng, who was brutally murdered last month in Evaton, add your name to this petition: https://awethu.amandla.mobi/p/justice4mome
The rate at which intimate partners in this country kill women is five times higher than the global average. GBV is a multi-sectoral issue further exacerbated by the widening inequality gap, lack of adequate service delivery and unequal access to resources, among many other issues. For it to be resolved, it means that the police should be capacitated to do their jobs properly, people must have access to employment opportunities, and rape culture should be minimised across all spheres of society. For this to be a reality, the government and society at large must work hand in hand, we all have a role to play.
The National Strategic Plan to combat GBV and femicide was adopted in 2020 and has made some strides, especially towards reforming our justice system to protect and deliver justice for victims. More still has to be done to ensure all the structures put into place are funded, fully functional and remain accessible to victims.
We are calling for a denial of bail for the perpetrators in the murder of Relebohile Mofokeng (19), whose life was brutally taken this past month, add your name to this petition: https://awethu.amandla.mobi/p/justice4mome
The fight to end GBV should be intensified, and strategic ways adopted to aid victims and the families of those who lose loved ones to abuse. We can once again come together to put pressure on law enforcers such as the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as we did with former Minister Bathabile Dlamini to commit to implementing the National Strategic Plan on GBV.
Together for justice,
Thabisile for the Amandla. mobi team
