Municipality conducts GBV campaign

The J.B. Marks Local Municipality’s Department of Community Safety, in collaboration with the Department of Social Development and stakeholders of the Victim Empowerment Programme, conducted a door-to-door campaign at Sonderwater in Ward 9 on Friday, 24 June.

The campaign arose from the prevalence of gender-based violence in the area. One such incident was the brutal murder of 10-year-old Kamogelo Sithole. According to the chief safety officer, Sello Cele, initiatives like these are essential because many community members live in abusive situations without realising it; they are uninformed of the different types of abuse. “When one mentions abuse, the only thing that comes to mind is often the physical aspect of it,” he said.

The national crime statistics place Ikageng police station ninth among the 30 highest crime police stations nationally, GBV being the prime source. “Due to these shocking statistics, it is of utmost importance that this campaign takes place,” Cele explained. Through the campaign, Cele says they reached more than 250 people, more than they had anticipated. Members were educated on the different types of abuse and where to report cases of GBV.

Cele added that this campaign was one of many as it was important to also have such campaigns in other communities. “We have drafted an annual programme, where we will focus on GBV and educating our people on the matter,” he said.