Employees of Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs signs a pledge to commit to no violence against women and children.

As the country commemorates 16 Days of Activism, the issues of employee safety and gender-based violence were tackled during the Phephamsebenzi event that was attended by MEC Vusi Shongwe.

It was held at the Nooitgedacht Research farm on Thursday, 6 December. Employees of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs came in numbers from the Msukaligwa district.

This year’s theme was based on prioritising health and safety in the workplace and committing to the protection of women and children in our society.

The day was jointly commemorated with World Aids Day.

As the department reflected on this day, all male officials marked this important event by signing a pledge to commit to no violence against women and children.
MEC Shongwe did not mix his words when he stated that women should be respected and protected from domestic violence and emphasised that women who say ‘No’ should be respected.

Stakeholders who were invited to give messages of support included Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), Mr Zwane who encouraged officials to be aware of their status and those living with the virus to protect themselves by continuously taking their medication to suppress the virus.

“It is good to know your status. This helps you to lead a healthy lifestyle irrespective of the results,” Mr Zwane said.

The Greater Rape Intervention Project (GRIP) represented by Ms Thobile Sibiya spoke about means of communication and where help can be found when being a victim of gender based violence.

Const Mokoena from the police encouraged everyone who are suffering from domestic violence to report their cases to the police to get help.

The day also saw employees being tested by healthcare practitioners, with more employees showing great concern to their lifestyle by getting informed.