Kwa-Thema CPF celebrates women while tackling GBV and community safety
Women’s Day brought a focus on safety and support in Kwa-Thema as the CPF urged victims of abuse to speak out and highlighted the important role played by female patrollers.
The Kwa-Thema CPF marked Women’s Day with a special meet-and-greet celebration at the Kwa-Thema Skills School on August 8.
The event brought together community members, CPF patrollers, and colleagues to celebrate the strength, courage, resilience, and achievements of women in the community.
Speaking to African Reporter, Kwa-Thema CPF’s deputy chairperson, Themba Matrose, said that the event was aimed at encouraging and educating women on reporting GBV and domestic violence that happens in the area.
He said that the men who attended were educated on how women can be protected against violence.
“The women learnt about their rights because, as CPF, we face a challenge that women would open a case and then later withdraw the charges, especially for domestic violence.
“They would forgive each other as families, but the violence still continues,” explained Matrose.
He shared that victims in the community are supported by the CPF through the help of the local SAPS.
Matrose indicated that women play a pivotal role in the safety of Kwa-Thema, as the structure has more women, including leadership and patrollers.
As CPF leadership, he urged the women in the community to report abuse to the patrollers in their community.
“I plead to the women not to hide the abuse happening in their homes and to contact the CPF, who will help you in communicating with the police.
“Once you are a victim, you will be a victim unless you report the violence and have the abuser arrested,” said Matrose.
One of the patrollers from Sector Two in Kwa-Thema, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, told the publication that she feels appreciated by the CPF for having an event that celebrates women in the area.
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She explained that she joined the CPF due to the high crime rate in the area and believed that being a patroller is one of the efforts in fighting crime.
“In the area I reside, the crime was becoming out of hand, and if we do nothing, then we will be victims.
“We decided on fighting crime by forming a neighbourhood watch which grew and later joined the CPF,” said Ndlovu.
As a female patroller, Ndlovu indicated that there are challenges she faces, including exposure to dangerous situations, but fortunately, men in the area also decided to join them.
She noted that being a female patroller has allowed women in situations to open up and ask for help.
“It is important for women to have the support of the community because we are the eyes and ears of the police and to have a close relationship with the community so it is for them to report crime,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu encouraged women to join the patrollers and fight crime because women are able to help by providing prayers and a listening ear to vulnerable people.
