Ward 81 residents march in Lombardy East to combat gender-based violence
Community members pay tribute to victims of gender-based violence by laying flowers at a spot in Lombardy East where a woman's body was discovered last year.
Department of Social Development Region E representative Lebogang Mathope believes gender-based violence (GBV) awareness campaigns unsettle perpetrators by signalling that communities will no longer tolerate abuse.
She spoke during a GBV awareness walk on October 21 at Organic Market, where Ward 81 residents paused in Lombardy East to lay flowers near a spot where a woman’s body was discovered last year after she was reported missing.
Read more: Ward 81 in River Park gets its messenger
Mathope said the march holds significant meaning for the department. “We cannot fold our arms when things are happening,” she said. “These people live in our communities, and they should be called out. When we are making noise, we make them unsettled because we are putting a message out there that enough is enough. We want to shake them a bit so that they see that we mean it.”
High crime rates should prompt community members to report incidents, she said, though acknowledging that some cases go unreported due to fear of retribution from perpetrators who live in the same neighbourhoods.
“People need to know that the law has a long arm and they have got protection,” Mathope said.
Also read: Ward 81 councillor sends her condolences to the family of Moss Selolo
Community member Dimpho Mawela emphasised the importance of unity in confronting the issue, noting that women face daily threats of rape and murder. “So, we are here to stand together and light candles for those that have suffered and those that have passed on.”
Lizzy Sithole, representing the GBV Brigades, said the initiative aimed to honour victims while calling on law enforcement officials and community members to act urgently.
Mathope added that organisers also sought to raise awareness in Greenville, encouraging victims to seek support rather than suffer in silence. “We want to relay a message that we are tired of GBV. This has to stop; we need a responsive community that will help us to report GBV cases.”
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