Durban — KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube on Saturday launched the 365 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) campaign under the slogan “Ending gender-based violence begins with me”.
The launch was held at uMzumbe Municipality in the south of KZN on Saturday.
Dube-Ncube wrapped up 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children and officially launched the 365 Days Campaign against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
The event also focused on the rights of people living with HIV, people with disabilities and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) community.
The provincial government said the district is notorious for heinous cases of gender-based violence (GBV) including incidents involving a serial killer who once reigned supreme, raping and killing women with reckless abandon.
The 16 Days of Activism aims to raise public awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children and to rid society of abuse permanently.
“Together, we need to play our part to end gender-based violence not just for 16 days but for 365 days a year, every year. The scourge of gender-based violence is a societal problem that has been described as a ‘pandemic’, and like a disease, it continues to cripple our society. We appeal to members of the community to report to authorities when they witness acts of abuse and violence being committed against women and children. Silence encourages perpetrators of GBV to commit it with impunity when members of the community turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to it,” Dube-Ncube said.
She said issues of gender-based violence and femicide needed constant focus and called on all sectors of society to unite and play their part in fighting this scourge.
“There shall be no no-go areas for women. Together with women, today (Saturday) we are starting a campaign to claim back our freedom to move anywhere, any time without being harassed or attacked. The purpose of today (Saturday) is to launch our transition from the 16 Days Activism Campaign, fully into government’s comprehensive 365 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, HIV, TB, STIs and Human Rights with focus on vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities,” Dube-Ncube said.
The premier highlighted areas of focus which are:
▪ Focal areas are the HIV, GBVF, human rights, persons with disabilities sectors;
▪ There will be a co-ordinated programme to address GBVF, HIV, violence against people with disabilities;
▪ The programme will be implemented by government departments and civil society organisations and other stakeholders such as business;
▪ There will be anti-stigma and anti-discrimination programmes;
▪ We will fight the violation of children born with disabilities;
▪ Financial abuse of social grants provided meant for persons with disabilities;
▪ Programme focusing on children with disabilities;
▪ Programmes to address toxic masculinity will be unveiled;
▪ We will revive ward-based OSS structures.
Further interventions will include the following:
▪ Skills development provided to survivors in shelters (sewing, catering, hairdressing and beauty);
▪ Organisational development for community-based organisations who implement human rights and GBVF programmes;
▪ Certificates of recognition for therapists regarding the provision of psychosocial support services to 100 frontline workers;
▪ GBVF awareness for sign language teachers;
▪ General GBVF training is being rolled out;
▪ MTV Shuga peer educators training.
“The Office of the Premier is revitalising the establishment of ward-based structures integrated into Operation Sukuma Sakhe war rooms. A gender-based violence and femicide council will be formed. The Department of Community Safety and Liaison working with the South African Police Service will provide functional victim-friendly rooms in all 184 police stations.
“Throughout the year, the programme will target people with disabilities, women, men, traditional leaders, traditional healers, youth, children and maidens, sex workers and LGBTQIA+. It will also include GBVF rapid response teams, private sectors, business sector, academic institutions, councillors, non-government organisations and the interfaith community,” Dube-Ncube said.
Dube-Ncube’s plan also came weeks after she called on police in the province to intensify the fight against gender-based violence and brazen criminals.
She issued a statement after Police Minister Bheki Cele released the quarter two crime statistics for 2022/23.
“Inanda police station in KZN, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and Delft in the Western Cape are the three top stations with the highest rape cases,” Cele said.
“Inanda and uMlazi police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and Nyanga station in the Western Cape registered the highest counts of murder during this period.”
Cele said also said that “961 of the reported murders in KwaZulu-Natal were as a result of firearms, followed by Gauteng with 768 murders”.
“KZN recorded the highest number of multiple murders, followed by Gauteng and the Western Cape.”
Following a spike in rape and murder cases in parts of KZN, Dube-Ncube called on the police force to intensify their crime-fighting efforts in all identified hotspots to stem the tide of violent crimes in the province.
Daily News