Rabie Ridge police aim to address gender-based violence

The Rabie Ridge Police Station led a drug abuse and gender-based violence awareness campaign in Phomolong on 4 November.

The police were accompanied by the Rabie Ridge Community Policing Forum (CPF), Gender-Based Violence Brigade, Woman As Safety Promoters, Men As Safety Promoters and the Department of Community Safety.

Spokesperson for the Rabie Ridge Police Station, Constable Jacob Nhlongo, explained that, as part of the event, they distributed pamphlets explaining drug abuse consequences, and others explaining gender-based violence and how to get help if one is affected by both problems.

“During the programme, we engaged with more than 400 community members including a young man aged 24 who expressed the excitement of seeing the initiative by all stakeholders going out to the community. He further requested help so that he can quit drugs and, through the help of Sanca [South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence], and he will be going through the processes to recover,” added Nhlongo

Rabie Ridge CPF public relations officer, Robin Stevens said the CPF’s role was to expose community members to this medium of safety while making residents aware of the problems in the community.

He added, “We engaged with community members on the different drugs that can be found. We also had to talk to the youth as there are drugs made in the form of muffins and sweets.”

Stevens said that Rabie Ridge has been badly affected by drugs and there is a steady rise in gender-based violence. “We wish for our local non-government organisations to work with us in reaching out to the government to build facilities because sometimes you find that a child goes to rehab and when they come back their environment is still the same and they start doing drugs again,” he concluded.

Details: Rabie Ridge Police Station 011 310 04 10/20.