Men’s Voice holds GBV awareness campaign in eMbalenhle

Azania informal settlement residents need to travel some kilometres to access government services like clinics and schools and it is even difficult to reach the eMbalenhle police station.

April 6, 2023

Mphikeleli Masangu 2 minutes read

Precious Soko,social worker from the Department of Social Development, speaks the Azania residents during a GBV campaign that was organised by the Men's Voice organisation.

The Men’s Voice organisation held gender-based violence (GBV) campaign on March 28 at Azania informal settlement in eMbalenhle, where Fikile Khumalo was found dead in her boyfriend’s shack on February 26.

Residents believe a pending rape case in which Khumalo was a key witness to be the motive for her murder.

Her boyfriend was arrested and appeared before the Evander Magistrate’s Court for the crime in the couple’s shack in the Azania informal settlement Ext 22.

The suspect will again appear in court on April 18.

Azania informal settlement residents need to travel some kilometres to access government services like clinics and schools. It is even difficult to reach the eMbalenhle police station.

Men’s Voice treasurer Zakhele Masilela addresses the Azania residents during a GBV campaign.

When addressing the residents, Precious Soko, a social worker in eMbalenhle, said residents take care of each other by making an example of what happened to Khumalo.

“It is painful that one of your community members was found dead. You mean none of you heard her screaming or saw anything?

“What kind of community are we who don’t love one another? We need to look after one another to curb incidents like these from happening.

“Though we won’t judge both the suspect and Khumalo because we don’t know what has transpired, we need to condemn this,” said Soko.

Soko said GBV is a pandemic in the whole country that needs urgent attention to stop it.

Advocate Tracy Keen-Horak from the National Prosecuting Authority addresses the Azania residents during a GBV campaign that was organised by the Men’s Voice.

Advocate Tracy Keen-Horak from the National Prosecution Authority warned victims of abuse to stop opening cases, only to withdraw it at court.

“It must be clear to everyone that when you open a rape or any abuse case, they will hear the case until the end, with no withdrawal.

“Some come to our courts and say they want to withdraw cases because they wanted the court only to scare the perpetrators. Our work is to send the GBV perpetrators straight to jail.

“We don’t scare people, we protect victims of GBV,” said Keen-Horak.

: GMM cashiers in Bethal accused of stealing service money

She said the Thuthuzela Care Centre at Evander Hospital caters for victims of sexual offences by providing forensic examination, evidence collection and PEP treatment. She encouraged residents to use the services of the centre.

The eMbalenhle Police Station’s community policing officer, Sergeant Thembi Motaung, warned women not to lie under oath by opening false cases.

Motaung said if they continue to do that, they will be arrested and charged with perjury, which has a lengthy jail sentence.

Zakhele Masilela, Men’s Voice treasurer, said they took the campaign to the Azania informal settlement because it is a neglected community without access to government services.