Central police observe 16 days of activism at Steve Biko

With commemorations for the annual 16 days of activism taking place nationwide, Pretoria central police decided to engage with locals at Steve Biko hospital on the matter recently.

The 16 Days of Activism is an awareness campaign that takes place every year from November 25 to December 10 to highlight the negative effects of violence against women and children.

The main message by Pretoria Central SAPS commander, Brigadier Gibin Hlengane Mashaba, was for people to report instances of abuse and avoid taking part in vigilantism,

“Men should come forth and report abuse rather than opting to take law into their own hands. The Domestic Violence Act, of 1998 doesn’t segregate and applies to every person who lives within the boundaries of South Africa.”

Mashaba reaffirmed the station’s commitment to treating victims of domestic abuse with sensitivity and care. He added that the station has set aside a victim-friendly room to provide victims with privacy during interviews or statement taking.

Stakeholders involved in the event included the CPF and the Child Welfare Tshwane NGO, which engaged with the community about essential services and the information they needed to protect themselves from falling victim to any form of abuse.

Pamphlets containing safety tips and channels to follow in reporting abuse were distributed.

All the people who were present joined in song and prayer and also took part in a walkabout in Steve Biko and Doctor Savage streets to chant and spread the word.

Pretoria Central is among the four Tshwane stations that have made the list of top 30 most plagued by serious crime nationwide. This was revealed in the second quarter of national crime statistics on November 17. The statistics are from cases reported to and detected by police from July 1 to September 30. The other three are Akasia, Lyttelton and Brooklyn.

“This will be a continuous fight to ensure the safety of both women and children and also catering for vulnerable groups such as the elderly people and the LGBTQI community,” said communications officer, Constable Thabang Nkhumise.

“Let us stand together and report crime and say no to any form of violence.”

For information, contact the SAPS emergency line on 10111, crime stop on 08600 10111, stop gender violence on 0800 150 150, childline on 0800 055 555, Aids helpline on 0800 012 322 and visible policing: gender-based violence and victim empowerment on 012 421 8000.

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