Molewa at the provincial event of International Human Rights Day, Tshing
Stadium, Ventersdorp
10 December 2006
Programme Director
MEC for Transport, Roads and Community Safety, Rre Jerry Thibedi
MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing, Rre Phenye Vilakazi
Members of the Provincial Legislature and NCOP Members present
Executive Mayors, Cllrs Moloi and Dodovu
Mayors and Councillors
Kgosi Mabe and other esteemed Traditional Leaders present
Judge of the High Court of South Africa, Justice F S Gura
Provincial Commissioner Beetha of the South African Police Service
Regional Commissioner Tshivhase of the Department of Correctional
Services
Leaders of our faith-based organisations, human rights groups and the community
of Tshing
Dumelang!
On the occasion of the provincial celebration of the International Human
Rights Day, I am honoured to deliver the key messages on behalf of the Premier,
the people and Government of the North West Province.
Not so long ago, President Thabo Mbeki was here together with Premier Edna
Molewa, national and provincial Ministers as well as representatives of all
spheres of government to listen to the community of Tshing as part of the
Presidential Imbizo.
We return today to this community of Tshing in the Ventersdorp Local
Municipality to celebrate with you this important International Human Rights
Day along with all South Africans across the country as well as in the
continent of Africa and the world over.
This is the day on which we reaffirm our commitment to build a country based
on the key foundations of equality, justice, human dignity and respect for our
women and children. Hence the national theme of âcelebrating Ubuntuâ.
In particular, the International Human Rights Day in our calendar marks the
last day of our 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children
which we have run in all our North West communities with more successes than in
the previous years.
Since the provincial launch in Jouberton in Matlosana it has been very
encouraging to see all sectors of our population actively taking part in the
activities of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, taking our messages to heart
and refusing to look away whenever and wherever a woman or a child was being
abused.
The result has been that more and more of our people know when an abuse has
been committed and did not hesitate to report such abuse to the authorities. We
must therefore thank all members of our community for raising the bar of
awareness during this year's 16 Days Campaign.
It was also with utmost pleasure that as part of the 16 Days Campaign we
handed over keys to 16 families with beneficiaries ranging from
single-women-headed households, child-headed households to people with
disabilities.
Who can forget the âTake Back the Nightâ march by women in Matlosana Street
to reclaim the areas that had become dangerous for women to walk at night as a
result of rape and murder?
Because of these and other milestones in our campaign this year, we are able
to boldly say that we have had a resounding 16 Days of Activism Campaign.
At the same time, however, we must remind each other that all your good
deeds in exposing and fighting against abuse of women and children, must not
stop today. We should be vigilant at all times, 24/7, 365 days a year!
We must continue to fight any form of violence and abuse against women and
children until our society is free from these beasts who look like human beings
but behave like animals.
On this occasion of the International Human Rights Day we must emphasise
that women and children's rights are indeed Human Rights and they should
therefore be promoted, protected and fought for by all of us to ensure that we
attain the kind of caring society that we are committed to building.
We must therefore use this occasion to renew our vows not to tolerate any
abuse of women and children, especially during the festive season. We know it
as a fact that incidents of violence and abuse tend to increase during the
festive season because of the other related problems of drug and alcohol
abuse.
We know that this abuse of drugs and alcohol results in other unnecessary
injuries, family disruptions and sometimes deaths because of the fights and
arguments that occur because some of us have lost our ability to think and act
rationally as a result of alcohol or drug abuse.
We therefore call on all of you to desist from alcohol or drug abuse this
festive season. We call on you to celebrate this festive season in a
responsible manner, a manner that promotes safety and security and protects all
those we love and cherish.
Government will do everything in its power, including increasing the number
of law enforcement officers on our roads, in our communities and at various
places of festivities where our people are gathered.
We must therefore convey Government's sense of gratitude to all these law
enforcement officers for their sacrifices and we are certain that they will
enjoy public support in reducing the incidents of crime, violence and abuse of
our women and children during the festive season.
Nevertheless, Government is well aware that some of the ills of our society
like abuse result from the unacceptable levels of poverty inherited from the
many years of neglect and underdevelopment by successive apartheid
governments.
Government will thus continue to multiply its efforts to erase that legacy of
apartheid by creating more job opportunities, skilling our communities and
ultimately defeating the scourge of poverty.
We are aware that these are no small challenges but we are a province and a
country gripped by hope and conviction that our challenges are not
insurmountable and that acting together we shall build the kind of society
where there would never be any need to have a campaign against violence and
abuse of our women and children.
For the North West Province in particular this will mean working together in
all our sectors for growing our economy to fight poverty and unemployment; for
the safety and security for all, especially our women and children; speeding up
access to social services as well as intensifying our Batho Pele conviction of
effective and speedy delivery of services to all our people including this
community of Tshing.
Today we call upon you residents of Tshing and the whole of North West to
make this International Human Rights Day a successful call to sustaining the
contribution that all sectors of our society have made towards ending the
scourge of abuse of our women and children and towards building a caring
province and a caring South Africa.
In conclusion, I would like to wish you, on behalf of the Premier and
Government of the North West Province, a happy memorable International Human
Rights Day.
Stop Abuse of Women and Children!
Stop Drug and Alcohol Abuse!
Don't Look Away!
Don't Drink and Arrive!
Arrive Alive!
Enjoy your holidays!
I thank you.
Issued by: North West Provincial Government
10 December 2006
