Hundred and fifteen suspects were arrested in connection with Gender-Based Violence (GBV)-related cases in the past two weeks in Limpopo.
Limpopo Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe says the suspects were arrested for rape and other crimes committed against women and children.
Hadebe says the Family Violence and Child Protection Unit in the province achieved great success in arresting the suspects during the festive season.
“There’s a lot that we need to do so that we assist this province to pass the error of femicide where men are killing women, children and the whole family, ” says Hadebe.
In one of the cases related to domestic violence, seven family members were shot dead on Christmas Day at Jimmy Jones in Malamulele. Those killed included a pregnant woman and four children. In another case, an off-duty police woman was shot dead, allegedly by her husband. The suspect also allegedly shot dead two men he accused of having love affairs with his wife.
Hadebe says the two incidents show the seriousness of GBV cases in the province.
“The seven people that were shot is a family shoot-out, the police officer that has been shot as well. The two people that have been shot is a love triangle, that on its own shows the seriousness of the GBV problem in the province.”
MEC for Community Safety Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya says police visibility will also be improved in the vicinity of institutions of higher learning to ensure that students are safe.
“We are going to have a high rate of children that will be traveling to universities. We have the University of Limpopo and UNIVEN, so we will want to see programmes and visibility in those universities so that those that come, not knowing the place, are not victims because the universities are actually areas where vulnerable girls and small boys have fallen into traps,” says Lerule-Ramakhanya.
Hadebe also announced the appointment of the new Waterberg, Vhembe and Mopani district commissioners
