Helping Hand Foundation mobilised its members to address the rise in gender-based violence and demanded that Mamelodi East police prioritise GBV cases on Thursday.
Together with the community of Mamelodi, they marched from Balebogeng Primary School to hand over a memorandum of grievances at the Mamelodi East police station.
The memorandum was received by Colonel Moses Mokwana of the Visible Policing unit.
Ntombifuthi Gwala from the foundation said it demands change and increased support from the police regarding GBV.
Gwala said the police must prioritise GBV cases and immediately attend to calls from the community regarding GBV.
“There are a lot of cases reported in Mamelodi about issues related to GBV, and therefore we demand more support for GBV survivors and families who have lost their loved ones due to GBV,” said Gwala.
She said the community had been complaining about the police officers who are not taking their job seriously, especially when it comes to GBV cases.
She said the march comes after numerous complaints regarding GBV in the community and victims being afraid to come out in the open about their plight.
The foundation pleaded with the community and victims of GBV to break the silence and start reporting these cases.
She said it is there to help victims come forward with their complaints, and police must take action by protecting the victims.
Among the issues they raised was the need for police to work with the community to implement community-based programmes to prevent GBV, promote awareness and challenge harmful gender stereotypes.
In his response, Mokwana said GBV is taken seriously at the Mamelodi East police station.
Mokwana said, “We are working closely with the court of law by making sure that the perpetrators of GBV are served with protection orders as soon as possible.
“We always make sure that suspects known to the victims get arrested and make sure they are denied bail,” said Mokwana.
“Gender-based violence and contact crimes are a very big problem in Mamelodi East, hence we have gender-based violence gates which can be used by victims,” he said.
He said the police were committed and would attend to the memorandum.
The police advised the community to work closely with the social crime prevention officers to raise more awareness.
Mokwana added that the station has a victim empowerment office that operates 24 hours.
Gwala added that the foundation will be working together with the South African Police Service to end GBV and would therefore be taking part in programmes arranged by the police in the fight against GBV.
She said Helping Hand Foundation is a student-led organisation that fights inequality and works with those going through poverty.
The foundation has given the police station seven days to respond to its demands.
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