Action demanded as GBVF continues to threaten communities

The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) said South Africa has lost the war against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), describing the situation as a disgrace to the country’s national standing.

GBVF remains a national crisis

Martlé Keyter, MISA’s CEO for Operations, said it is disturbing that Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has admitted that GBVF has worsened between the annual Child Protection Week in May and Women’s Month, but appears to have no solution or recourse.

She said that during just three months, the police recorded 11 532 sexual offences, including 9 201 rapes and 1 589 sexual assaults.

“South Africa cannot claim progress while women and children remain afraid in their homes and communities. We cannot spend August celebrating the achievements and contribution of South African women while thousands of women continue to live in fear of becoming the next victim. Women’s Month must be about more than speeches, events and promises,” said Keyter as South Africa reached the end of Women’s Month.

According to Cachalia, GBVF demands urgent attention from every sector of society, and he stressed that the protection of women, children and vulnerable people remains a national policing priority.

MISA said the decrease in murders and other serious crimes is encouraging and could indicate that targeted, intelligence-driven policing interventions are having an impact. However, 5 427 murders in only three months can never be regarded as acceptable.

Call for better-resourced police units

MISA repeated its call for specialised Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units to be properly staffed, resourced and equipped. Detectives investigating crimes against women and children must have the training, capacity and resources required to build cases that can withstand scrutiny in court.

The union is also concerned about the damage done to public confidence in the police by allegations and revelations emerging before the Madlanga Commission.

“South Africa cannot effectively fight violent crime when communities lose faith in the very institution responsible for protecting them.

“MISA stands with the thousands of honest and dedicated police officers who continue to serve their communities under extremely difficult circumstances. They deserve leadership, resources and systems that enable them to do their jobs effectively,” Keyter continued.

Crime threatens workers and the economy

“Crime has a direct impact on workers and the economy. Our members do not stop being workers when they leave the workplace. They return to communities where they and their families must live with the reality of crime. Crime follows workers from their homes to the workplace and back again. It also undermines investment and job creation. Investors need confidence that their employees, customers and assets will be safe. A safer South Africa is not only a social imperative, but it is fundamental to economic growth and the creation of the jobs our country desperately needs,” she explained further.

For Keyter, the minister is correct that protecting women and children requires action from every sector of society, but government carries the constitutional responsibility to ensure that the criminal justice system works.

“Women and children don’t need another promise that they will be protected. They need to see perpetrators arrested, prosecuted and convicted. They need to be safe. That is the measure by which progress must ultimately be judged,” concluded Keyter.