• Anonymous writes:

In a recent letter regarding gender-based violence (GBV) by Raliphi Master Push Xolelizwe from Ward 36 with headline Violence against women – ‘What is wrong with SA’s men?’ the following …

I read with interest his letter. Raliphi, sad to say that you totally missed the whole point and lost the plot by putting the blame solely in the hands of South African men! There is so much more to this than just ‘South African men’ – read on.

I suggest your broaden your narrow view much wider and delve much deeper than by saying South African men need to stop GBV, and quote ‘we as men do precious little to stop this hateful behaviour’, and ‘when will men stop gender-based violence”. Men do have and play a part, but you cannot blame them alone. They alone cannot stop this and never will, so change your view and rather direct your comments and anger to the real cause, such as government and media platforms.

The SABC is a SOE run by the ANC government, but promotes, endorses and approves of GBV in most of the soapies, movies and sitcoms shown on it. Why does government allow this and not stop it? The script writers have free reins with no restrictions on them, and have total free choice to write violence and abuse into these shows.

No wonder people have stopped paying their TV licences as most programmes shown most of the time on SABC are utter rubbish, garbage and total junk. Why throw our hard-earned money after rotten apples? Teenagers, boys and men learn by example, so if they see a woman being bashed and abused on a TV sitcom, soapy or movie, guess what men and boys will do.

We as a nation are fed and exposed 24/ 7 to extreme violence, bloodshed, murder, etc on all channels, SABC, eNCA, OpenView, M-Net, etc, which would include movies from overseas as well.

How many times when switching on to see what’s on, one is confronted with bloodshed, people being shot at, blood splattered all over, women being choked, punched, and beaten by husbands or lovers? This and more violence against women and children are accepted as ‘normal’ in these movies, soapies and sitcoms on the big screen because it is only a ‘movie’.

Men and boys learn by example and if they are fed violence 24/ 7 then that is what they will do to their wives and girlfriends.

Yes we have a free choice to watch or not watch violence and can just switch to another programme, but violence grips people and they are intrigued and fascinated by it, especially the younger generation.

Tragically, the majority of boys and young men in South Africa do not have positive role models in their lives. Most of our youth are exposed to extreme violence at a very young age regularly in their homes and neighbourhoods with gang-fighting.

This present government is the biggest culprits and hypocrites. When the first lockdown rules were announced banning alcohol and tobacco sales in SA for some months Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma gave reasons why they banned it saying: ‘due to the increase of cases of violence, stabbings, which the main cause was alcohol consumption”.

“There are proven links between the sale and consumption of alcohol and violent crime, motor vehicle accidents, and other medical emergencies at a time when all public and private resources should be preparing to receive and treat vast numbers of Covid-19 patients,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Yet at the same time the SABC and other channels all showed alcohol consumption, alcohol adverts in most of the soapies and sitcoms, while government banned it in society. One such local soapy is shown early evening and alcohol flows right through it by the younger crowd!

That’s what I call more than double standards and hypocrisy! They don’t set any example at all.

The terribly tragedy is that sexual exploitation, violence and abuse of vulnerable women and children is a national disgrace and no amount of money, teaching or condemning it will change this until government get their act and priorities in order.

President Ramaphosa who is an unconcerned, laid-back, pathetic president has made so many empty futile promises over and over again including statements on GBV which he has not kept, and which has never been enforced or applied.

When the media highlights these atrocities, government officials just issue statements saying they condemn the violence against women and children and promise to tighten up legislation, but still nothing is done further until the next woman is murdered, and then government just keeps on repeating what they said before.

Why don’t they get the ball rolling by tightening up legislation on the SABC?

In addition a large percentage of children are given cell phones/ iPads at an early age with no parental controls on them so they can watch what they want as parents are far too busy with their own lives to set boundaries.