MEC upset over femicide in Mabopane
"Women are at greater risk of being murdered in familiar environments by men known to them."
The killing of Sheila Mosidi Kopanye of Mabopane at the weekend has upset social development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza.
The MEC said this week the tragic death was unacceptable and called for a society-wide response by men.
“This gender-based violence places men as predominant perpetrators. It strengthens the hypothesis that women are at greater risk of being murdered in familiar environments by men known to them,” said the MEC.
“This means we must as a society pay more attention to addressing men and boy children challenges, in the same manner, we are doing about women and girl children.”
Kopanye was stabbed to death, allegedly by her former boyfriend who wouldn’t accept their break-up.
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The MEC said her department had a Men’s Forum to help men deal with a diversity of issues.
She said the forum was involved in a number of programmes including psychosocial support groups, motivational visits to schools and working with non-profit organisations and non-governmental organisations funded by the department.
“Men don’t talk. They suffer in silence and their outburst result in such tragedies. The Men’s Forum can play an inspirational role,” she said.
“They can motivate, engage, assist and inspire other men to be examples of change in their community and build a society where all people who live in it, are free without fear, she said.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development also called on men in our communities to lead the battle to protect women from violence.
Kopanye was a clerk at the Temba Magistrate’s Court in Hammanskraal.
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Her death came after she posted on her social media evidence of her being followed against her will, which no one acted on.
The suspect had since handed himself over to the police.
The department extended its heartfelt condolences to Kopanye’s family.
“Kopanye’s death adds to the increasing number of cases of women whose lives have been sadly cut short during this unacceptable endemic scourge of intimate femicide.”
The department said it had been leading a number of programmes against domestic violence and the rise of femicide.
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