Outrage and sadness at the killing of Nosicelo Mtebeni
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities wishes to express its outrage at the senseless killing of fourth year student at the University of Fort Hare, Ms Nosicelo Mtebeni. Even during Women’s Month – a month dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women, and women’s contribution to South Africa’s growth – murders like this continue unabated. Women’s month is rendered meaningless because women still live in fear every single day.
Widespread media attention given to the killing of Nosicelo Mtebeni once again drives home the reality that women are murdered daily in South Africa. Most statistics point to a woman being murdered every 3 hours. In 2016 the World Health Organisation rated South Africa fourth out of 183 countries for the highest rate of interpersonal violence resulting in death. Other studies put South Africa’s femicide rate at almost 5 times the global average. Many researchers, academics, and activists working in the GBVF space, put this figure much higher due to the high number of unsolved murder cases still under investigation.
“We wish to join Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande and others who have condemned this brutal murder. We also express our deepest condolences to the friends and family, and the University of Fort Hare network of Ms Nosicelo Mtebeni. We pray that her friends and family find the strength to heal from this senseless and brutal murder,” said Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize.
Women, and in particular, young women are restricted from enjoying their human rights as equal citizens in South Africa due to the very real threat of possible violence, rape, and femicide that exists. Every day women must navigate unpleasant, threatening and hostile situations in an environment that remains patriarchal and toxic. Women are harassed, bullied, abused, assaulted and considered second-class citizens, being judged and persecuted for expressing themselves in different spaces in society.
“Places of higher learning have seen an increase in incidents of sexual harassment, bullying, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, femicide, and sexual and gender identity intolerance. Sexually perverse behaviour is taught to youth from a young age. Children are not born with sexually perverse thoughts. So we need to break cycles of toxic masculinity that destroy the lives of women and men, especially on campuses where there is a concentration of young leaders who must develop the South Africa of tomorrow,” said Deputy Minister Professor Mkhize.
The Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation’s GBV Policy Framework provides a roadmap for responding to GBVF prevention and support services in places of higher learning across South Africa. This Framework draws from the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which is the country’s coordinating tool to respond to the complex atrocity of gender-based violence and femicide.
Women across places of higher learning in South Africa face many untold stories of abuse and harassment. These are stories in which perpetrators mingle with their victims resulting in secondary victimisation. Students across the country have been calling for better support services for students who experience both physical and mental abuse, resulting in prolonged mental health issues. “As government, we need to partner with students and management on campuses to respond to this by formulating interventions that strengthen prevention initiatives and ensure support systems for survivors are operating optimally,” said Deputy Minister Mkhize.
The department once again expresses its outrage and sadness at the killing of Nosicelo Mtebeni. The department encourages everyone not to fall into the trap of ‘bystanderism’ which allows acts of abuse, harassment, sexual assault disguised as ‘teasing, flirting, and socialising’ to continue without being reported for intervention.
“We live in an extremely gender unequal society and violent manifestations of this inequality takes place every day, with women paying for this injustice with their lives. All places of higher learning must have GBVF prevention strategies in place. They must also bolster facilities and human resources to better serve students experiencing abuse, and mental health issues. We need systems that are survivor-centric, and place the needs of female learners who have been abused, above all else,” added Prof Mkhize.
Media enquries:
Mr Shalen Gajadhar (Director: Communications, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities)
Cell: 060 979 4235
