March advocates for end of GBV

The Gauteng Department of Community Safety (DCS) and partnering organisations recently held a march and night vigil as a launch of their #16DaysofActivism campaign.

The campaign runs from November 25 to December 10 under the theme “30 Years of advancing collective action to end violence against women and children”.

The aim is to raise awareness about the widespread scourge of Gender-based Violence and Femicide (GVBF) and encourage collective action from all sectors of society to act against abuse.

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Provincial health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko and the MEC for Social Development Faith Mazibuko were among the attendees.

The marchers gathered at Sammy Marks and proceeded to the Union Buildings during the late afternoon of November 25.

Mantoa Mokwena of the People Against Abuse NGO said they participated because “it’s high time that GBV comes to an end in communities”.
The NGO regularly holds awareness campaigns in areas such as Winterveldt but aims to reach broader areas in 2025.

“There a lot of women and children who are dying because of GBV, not just all over Tshwane but all over the country too – it needs to stop. We want to see everyone happy and we want to live in a society without GBV,” Mokwena said.

Sunnyside CPF member Tebogo Lebogo said more education is needed on the effects of GBV which is why “marches such as these remain important”.

“We want to equip people with the information. Talking about it, for example, if a man kills his partner, some would ask, what did she do to him? When instead we need to promote the idea that no one has a right to kill anyone,” Lebogo said.

Being a Sunnyside CPF member, Lebogo said they are confronted with the damaging reality of GBV daily.

“There’s so many, I can’t even say. Each and every day, there’s no way you can spend a day at the police station without a GBV case coming in, it’s rare,” he said.

“From what I see, a lot of women are abused by their partners and also men, they do come in as well. Come out guys, they must not be ashamed or they may die,” Lebogo encouraged.

Yonela Nyembenya, Miss Universe Tourism runner-up 2024 as well as Ms Africa Elite 2024, said more people need to speak out as too many are dying.

“We need to be supportive of the victims, some women out there have fear to report because their perpetrators can be released the same day and their lives are put at risk. We are here to sure that they can report, we are here to comfort and support them,” she said.

“They need to speak out against it,” Nyembenya added.

Nyembenya acknowledges the government’s efforts to address the issue however she feels that police need to take it more seriously.

Gauteng Traffic Warden, Evodia Sizane said she joined the march because she believes that more empowerment and awareness in needed regarding GBV.

“We need to make sure that we prevent GBV as early as possible. So, it’s early intervention, early prevention, awareness and empowerment, that’s why it’s important.
There are a lot of traditional elements regarding masculinity as well as social pressures such as trends, gangsterism, initiation schools, and many other social structures that condone or allow GBV acts to be perpetrated. We need to engage on this,” Sizane said.

Sipho Maseko from the DSC said the 16 Days campaign should be acknowledged every year because the rates of children and women being abused are still worrying.

“Please just come out, don’t be ashamed, abuse is real. Even if you’re a man and you’re being abused please come out, we as a community need to say this is enough and it must stop,” Maseko said.

Maseko said the department has several events planned throughout the country up to December 10.

Provincial Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said, “GBV is everywhere we go and it’s something that can’t be avoided”.

“If you can get the number of people that we treat in hospitals and clinics, the number is very high. So it’s an obligation for me as MEC to support any initiative that supports women and children, especially related to domestic violence, we have to be there. We have victim-empowerment centres we’ve built as the department where it is easier for victims to come forward. They don’t go to a general ward, there is a certain area where we assist them,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said.

The MEC said more awareness programmes on GBV are needed and communities into to the reality of the scourge and special attention must be paid to the boy child.

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