16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABUSE

BY: SP Kgokong

According to the statistics that police Minister General Bheki Cele released a week ago, shows that crimes of violence against women and children abuse is worsening in South Africa.

Today as we fight Gender Based Violence (GBV) in SA, we have lost so many women and Children who died in the hands of the ones who claim to love them.

Just this week Ntuthuko Shoba who orchestrated the death of his 8 months pregnant girlfriend ( Tshegofatso Pule) asked for a plea to appeal his life sentence. Shoba was sentenced to life imprisonment after hiring someone to kill his girlfriend who was then 8 months pregnant with his child. Pule was found hanged on a tree in Durban Deep in Roodepoort, JHB in 2020.

Our government is not doing enough, this life imprisonment thing is not punishment enough, because if it was the number of crimes would not be increasing as they are now.
Many foundations and organisations have been set up to help and support victims of GBV across the country yet many women and children are still dying.

ORGANISATIONS LINES FOR VICTIMS:
Emergency Line: 0800 428 428
1207867#
Skype address HELPMEGBV, for members of the death community.
Sms HELP to 31531, for people with disability.
Tears foundation

If we would concentrate on a boy child, find out what their needs are, what hurts them and how do we help them. Because most of them are angry and they have no one to talk to.

Truth is the are few men organisations that address emotional problem men go through. Especially with the saying in our kasi location “men don’t cry”. Boys and men are unable to cry, share their problems or difficulties they face in their everyday lives. Even they themselves go through all kinds of abuse, but they do not report them. They fear being laughed at by the police and the community.

Emotionally healthy men, would mean GBV free communities. This year as we support and help those who went through or are still going through GBV, lets help our brothers to heal emotionally, talk about whatever that is troubling them, give them attention, listen to them, show them that we are here and we care.

This year for 16 days of activism against women nd children abuse, theme should be: ” HELP BROTHERS TO HEAL”

Organisations like BROTHERS FOR LIFE and SONKE GENDER JUSTICE really do a great job but its not enough. We need to do more and for South Africans to normalize addressing men issues on a daily basis.

Also Read: URBAN FUSION MEDIA RECOGNISES THE THEME ENDING FEMICIDE FOR 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM CAMPAIGN