Gender-based violence (GBV) dialogues, led by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, were held at Motsu Park, Thembisa, to address issues leading to GBV.
Other stakeholders included SheIsBrave, POWA, MICRO, WASP, Thembisa Youth Desk and SAPS, Women Empowerment and community members were also invited.
Bishop Michael Mtshali, chairperson of Faith Based Organisation, said for families to be stable there must be a set of rules that can eventually be the culture of the family.
“Dinner time is a time for the whole family to come together and enjoy their supper. It is not a place where you would find one member of the family busy with social media and another one doing business. Most importantly, it is also not a place for parents to settle their disagreements.”
He said that social media should me minimised during family gatherings, and job titles should not be an issue because a family member might be a manager at the work place, but is not at home. Cohesion is critical for a stable family.
“Communication between parents is another important factor to minimise the cases of gender-based violence. Without communication partners are bound to cross each other and the result is an unstable household which the kids quickly cash in on.
“Such cases can lead to children becoming drug users or alcohol consumers because they feel free in that new space,” said Mtshali.
Monica van Rooyen, from the Department of Community Safety, said they have programmes in place that proved to be effective thus far because they have managed to reach more men in public areas to address the issues of GBV.
“The four effective programmes are door-to-door campaigns, dialogues, tavern interventions, and youth mentorship programmes.”
Van Rooyen added that they sometimes find men in taverns because of problems at home. One male, in his 40’s, once said he goes to the tavern to mingle with other men, not to drink because he cannot stand the issues at home.
In conclusion, the provincial coordinator said, “We would like men to always come in numbers to meetings such as these and for them to set good examples to the young ones.”
One of the community members, Klaas Boya, offered advice to other men in the community who face difficult situations which could result in them laying their hands on their partners.
He reminded the community that laying a hand on your partner could lead to faces charges of assault.
“The thing is, a man don’t like to be undermined by their woman partners and that is why, in some cases, they resort to violence,” said Boya.
The Ekurhuleni North Cluster chairperson, Andrew Mosesi, said they are looking to engage with men to be safety promoters of a girl child and women in general.
“Men have to be viewed as protectors; protect a girl child from birth till death. A father with a daughter will understand this.
“When someone is rejected by someone or is divorced they have to understand that they cannot resort to violence.
“Society must discuss these issues in churches and school, stokvels and community meetings,” said Mosesi.
