More than 700 gender-based violence (GBV) cases were reported in Mpumalanga in three months. Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed the statistics during an imbizo against gender-based violence at Kanyamazane, outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
The community, mostly men, interacted with Cele to come up with solutions to gender-based violence incidents.
Minister Cele led a two-kilometre walk joined by faith-based leaders and community members in Kanyamazane. The residents have pleaded with the Minister to make resources available at police stations to curb crime.
A call was also made to the Minister to pay stipends to community policing members in order to motivate them.
“We are saying the CPF is working very hard. But the main problem is that they are not insured, and there is no stipend of the CPF,” says one of the residents.
Another resident says, “Sometimes men are angry and sometimes women call men useless. Let’s talk more about these issues on both sides – men and women and try to find solutions.”
Chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Reverend Micah Nthali, emphasised the importance of strong family values.
“Once a family is weak, it breeds a weak block, a weak block breeds a weak ward, and a weak ward breeds a weak community. For this scourge to be eradicated, we must go back to our roots as men and begin to understand that women are just like us, they are not different.”
Cele says every man should take a stand against gender-based violence.
“Women are under attack, women are having it very tough. They are raped. The worst part of it – 760 were raped in three months in Mpumalanga. 361 of them were raped in their houses, raped by the people they know, by people who were supposed to protect them.”
Cele emphasised the importance of grooming young boys to become responsible men.
