KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala today made a strong appeal to communities in the province to take an uncompromising stand against violence directed at women and children.
Premier Zikalala was speaking at the provincial launch of 16 Days Campaign of No-Violence Against Women and Children held in Mtubatuba Municipality, in the Umkhanyakude District. The MECs who are Champions responsible for Districts, also launched the campaign in the rest of the province today.
During his address, the Premier recounted cases of gruesome violence and murder of women and children, including the discoveries of several bodies of murdered women in uMthwalume, and the recent killing of activist Fikile Ntshangase who was brutally murdered in front of her grandchild.
“Today, our media platforms are flooded by stories of violent attacks on women young and old, in rural and urban areas regardless of race, class or origin. The killing of women and children is a scourge affecting the country but also the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” said Premier Zikalala.
Premier Zikalala said government was not happy to know that the historic and culturally significant Inanda is now known as South Africa’s hotspot for rape giving the entire province a bad reputation as a place where women are not safe.
KwaZulu-Natal was identified in April 2019 as experiencing escalation in violent crimes, especially contact crimes, including murder and attempted murders, aggravated robberies, sexual offence and assault GBH.
Premier Zikalala said it was in this light that the SAPS was implementing the Stabilisation Plan that was derived from the Turnaround Strategy of the Province which started in October 2019 and has been extended to 31 March 2021. The plan is coupled with promoting awareness of the harmful impact of alcohol abuse among the Youth. At the same time the Youth Empowerment Through Alcohol Awareness Programmes are targeting Learning Institutions and places frequented by young people. This is also coupled with the Adult Education Programme and Responsible Trader Facilitation Programme which calls on responsible alcohol trading.
Premier Zikalala said it was clear that we have made significant progress since the adoption of the anti-GBV and Femicide Strategy in October last year.
“We are, however aware that GBV still persists. It will take all of us working together to get rid the scourge. Among the areas most affected this year by GBV are Plessislaer, Ntuzuma, Phoenix, Mpumalanga, Alexandra Road, Mountain Rise, Sydenham, Pinetown, Taylors Halt and Mtubatuba where we are today,” he said.
It is against this background that in KwaZulu-Natal, the campaign will be daily and for 365 days.
The provincial coincides with the declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Remembrance for the victims of GBV and Femicide and the Covid-19 pandemic. The five days run from 25- 29 November.
“As of 6am today, our national flag has been flying at half-mast, and this will be so for five days. To show our solidarity with the victims of GBV and the covid-19 pandemic, we have also been called by the President to wear a black armband,” said Premier Zikalala.
The Premier emphasized that the violations visited upon victims is not of their own doing.
“We want to stress that it can never be a fault of a woman to be violated or killed by a man or her partner. It is not women or the victims that must change, but the men who abuse and rape,” the Premier said.
“In 2020, we launch the 16 Days Campaign under the theme of, “Women’s Economic Justice for a non-violent and non-sexist South Africa”. This theme is supported by the national call to action which says, “Working together to Build a Society where Morality takes Prevalence.”
“The theme compels us to recognise that GBV thrives in conditions of gender inequality and the economic marginalisation of women. To eliminate this national crisis, it means we must put the economic emancipation of women at the centre of all our programmes,” said the Premier.
As we are all aware an Emergency Action Plan to deal with the scourge of gender-based violence and government reprioritised R1.6 billion for the purpose of improving access to justice for survivors of violence and prevention campaigns to change attitudes and behaviour.
In addition we will be supporting the three Amendment Bills currently in Parliament aimed at closing the gaps that allow perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence to evade justice and to give full effect to the rights of the country’s women and children.
We will be encouraging people to speak out, law enforcement to arrest and the prosecutors to prosecute the perpetrators. We will turn this tide of shame on our province. As society, we must stand up and say no more. We must move beyond the shock and ensure that concrete actions are taken to end the scourge of GBV.
The Premier emphasized that the violations visited upon victims is not of their own doing. “We want to stress that it can never be a fault of a woman to be violated or killed by a man or her partner. It is not women or the victims that must change, but the men who abuse and rape,” he said.
Premier Zikalala said as a long term response to GBV and Femicide women should be empowered economically in order to lessen or remove dependence on men. He said province’s Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan consists of job creation and production; economic transformation; the target groups (women, youth, disabled people, Military veterans); spatial economic transformation/ underdevelopment; rural and township economies; black industrialisation; as well as entrepreneurship development.
The Premier called on our traditional leaders and religious leaders to play their part in rooting out sexism and patriarchy. “Let us stop telling our children that libanjwa lishisa emendweni. Let us also stop gossiping and mocking women who decide to leave abusive husbands – akukona ukwehluleka ukushiya umuntu okuhlukumezayo. We know that most of these abuses and murder of women are committed by their partners,” he said
For more information contact:
Lennox Mabaso – Provincial Government Communication
0828842403
