“Gender-based violence should be fought daily”, Minister Shabangu
Violence against women and children has been in an up rise over the last few months. This is a serious concern in the country and it is important to speak out against it. The following are statements made by the government and public service sectors in order to address these concerns:
President Jacob Zuma stated: “We are outraged and seriously concerned about the reports of the abuse and killing of women and children in some parts of the country. We are especially extremely concerned that in most cases, these attacks occur in the hands of family members or in the case of women, their intimate partners. The nation must forge a united front with the law enforcement authorities, government and all sectors of society in fighting this appalling scourge and isolate these criminals in society but within the ambit of the law and those caught are being handed long jail terms.”
Minister in the presidency responsible for women, Susan Shabangu stated: “Over the past couple of days, social media networks and newspaper reports have brought to light the ongoing, horrific violence towards women and children. It devastating to hear of women who are abused and murdered. We need to mobilise men and not only women to make sure society as a whole is about to address the scourge of violence against women”.
Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, Gauteng MEC for Community Safety also joined in on the conversation saying her department is doing their best to ensure they are prioritizing the safety of women and children. She says they've gone as far as setting up a task team, made up of women and men who are trained as both forensic social workers and detectives, to investigate crimes against women and children.
Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi stated: “Violence and abuse against women is a violation of our human rights and government reiterates its call to report all cases of rape, sexual assault or any form of gendered violence to the police. Our criminal justice system and our courts should be assisted by citizens to tackle those who commit violence and abuse.”
Sources retrieved from online articles: www.702.co.za, www.iol.co.za, www.sanews.gov.za