Mayor calls for vigilance
Ekurhuleni mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele has called on local communities to be vigilant against perpetrators of women and children abuse.
Reacting to an incident in which a 32-year-old man allegedly killed his 62-year-old mother and 10-month old baby in Emfihlweni, in Tembisa, on Thursday, Gungubele believes the only hope South Africa has to end the scourge of violence of any kind against women and children is for all communities to come together against the perpetrators.
“This is an extremely shocking incident,” he said.
“How do you go about maiming members of your own family, including an innocent toddler who does not even know what is going on?
“This baffles the mind.
“In most cases, the attackers are known to the families of the victims, and yet they still get away with it.
“We must agree that they do not belong in our space and be vigilant in blowing the whistle against them.
“Let us flush them out, no matter who they are and how much we love them.”
Gungubele stated that it is not normal that a mother can be arrested for poisoning her own toddlers, just like it cannot be understood how a man can take a knife and stab his own mother and his own baby to death.
“While vigilance in fighting women and children abuse is needed, we also need divine intervention,” he said.
Gungubele pointed out that if people are scared to expose perpetrators, they must resort to reporting them anonymously.
The country’s 16 Days of Activism Campaign started a week ago.
During this period, the entire nation embarks on a programme to fight the prevalence of women and children abuse in communities.
Gungubele implored all councillors to lead the gospel of “non-violence against women and children” from the front in their various constituencies.
“Let us all say no to the scourge of women and children abuse,” he said.
“Abuse in any form cannot be allowed to continue in our space.
“As leaders, we are expected to run with the right and positive messages.
“In actual fact, it is wrong for us to think that this campaign must only happen from November 25 to December 10.
“This is a campaign for 365 days a year, as crimes against our most vulnerable in society do not just happen in November/December, but throughout the year.”
