Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs yesterday joined hands with different stakeholders to intensify the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide during a campaign in Majaneng, near Hammanskraal.
The campaign advocated for behavioural change among men, boys and women across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the House of Traditional Leaders, Nkosi VW Mahlangu bemoaned the fact there were more taverns than schools, churches and clinics in villages and townships.
“This is concerning because some of the patrons who go to taverns end up indulging in unprotected sexual activities, which can lead to the transfer of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, as well as unplanned pregnancies.”
Mahlangu requested the Liquor Board to review their standards with regard to the awarding of liquor licences, “as it is maybe the ones compromising everybody”.
“The institution of traditional leaders further requests that before a liquor licence is approved a study must be conducted to get the opinions of neighbours, the number of licences already issued, and public opinion,” Mahlangu said.
He said the traditional leadership was worried about the scourge of gender-based violence in the country.
“It is wrong for men to assault women and for women to assault men.”
Mahlangu urged couples to negotiate instead of using violence, adding that the government has means of engaging on anger management.
He also denounced the killing of women, calling on perpetrators to stop such heinous acts.
“We have seen women being killed just for being women, and this can not continue, and as amakhosi, we discourage it to the best of our ability.”
Traditional leaders were encouraged to call meetings with men with a view to finding a strategy to fight GBV and femicide.
Department representative Kiba Kekana said according to 2018 statistics by Statistics SA, one woman was killed in every three hours. At least 3 000 women were murdered in South Africa last year.
Kekana said men should change their mindset and desist from referring to women as their objects.
Tshwane Metro Police Department chief Johanna Nkomo encouraged women to speak up against the scourge and not keep quiet because “silence is not golden when it comes to gender-based violence”.
“When you are being beaten as a woman, make a noise in order to draw attention from people who can help you out of the situation,” she said.
Pretoria News