CAPE TOWN - As part of the 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children campaign, NPO Ilitha Labantu, in collaboration with Site B police and the Community Police Forum (CPF) hosted an anti-GBV motorcade on Tuesday.
The #Uthuleleni campaign motorcade kicked off at Site B police station by engaging with residents about violence against women and children.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said a lot could be done to strengthen ties between the organisations, government and the private sector to end GBV.
“(This) is a call to action to denounce all acts of violence against women and children. Ilitha labantu works with other stakeholders including Saps to try to end violence and also to capacitate communities to end the scourge of GBV,” said Monakali.
He said levels of violence against women and children had always been extremely high.
“However, as you can see from the recent released statistics, in just three months throughout the country there were almost 10 000 rapes.
“This is a staggering reminder that regardless of the time we are living in, GBV is the main crisis that we are faced with now due to the opening of the country where people can move and the opening of alcohol sales.
”Alcohol contributes a lot to the issue of violence against women and children. “All of these issues and factors combined create the situation that we are faced with right now. So many perpetrators of violence against women and children are arrested. However, they are not successfully convicted and they are let out free and come out to society and repeat the same offence that they were originally arrested for. Those are the factors we need to look at,” he said.
Site B CPF secretary Phindile George said the government needed to equip communities to fight against GBV.
“The motorcade was successful in terms of creating awareness of GBV. “The reason we joined Ilitha Labantu with Saps is because the organisation shares the same objectives in ensuring that we have a safer society so that our people can live in peace.
“The organisation has been at the forefront of fighting for women and children's rights,” said George.
Cape Times