This is the second official visit by ministers in Lusikisiki in less than two months. In March, five deputy ministers converged here to engage traditional leaders and community members on GBVF and femicide.
The focus for today’s message is for men to unite in the fight against socials ills directed at women and children.
Minister Cele called on men to play a leading role in protecting women.
“If men can’t listen we are not going to deal with this thing. Men need to go back speak to themselves, maybe, these Izimbizos must excuse women. Women must not be part of these Izimbizos. Come and talk to ourselves. People do things that are abominable, things that you just can’t understand,” says Cele.
Residents raised a litany of complaints, some of which were against the police themselves.
“It was in 1998 during the conflicts that were taking place in Kwanyathi, police came to my house and said they wanted my father in law’s firearm and when I told them I don’t know where it is, they hit me. One of them hit me with an axe on the waist. It’s been 22 years now that I haven’t seen justice. I’m even on crutches because in 2002 I suffered a stroke,” says one of the residents.
Another resident says, “I think the only solution to this scourge will be for us the youth to work together and fight for our women. These visits by ministers will not help if we don’t change our mindsets as young people to stand up for our mothers and sisters”.”It’s very painful because they get killed by people we know. It’s difficult to come forward and say you have seen something because their own parents defend their children,” the resident says.
“In the year 2010 we had 200 000 police, that time we were 50 million South Africans. This time we have 182 000 and we are 60 million, which means the ratio of policing does give the problem of the police responding,” Cele says.
The Police Ministry says about 10 000 police at colleges and academies will be absorbed into the police force to address the shortage of human resources in the service.
Police Minister Bheki Cele leads a Ministerial GBV and Femicide Imbizo at Lusikisiki:
