Durban - A march to highlight the plight of women and children in South Africa went awry after police had to use stun grenades and teargas to disperse the crowd following violent clashes outside Parliament on Saturday.
At least 18 people have been arrested.
They have been charged with public violence and malicious damage to property.
The group, made up of hundreds of students and people from a number of civic organisations, marched to Parliament to demand more funding be allocated to prevent GBV. The group also demanded better support services for GBV survivors.
It is unclear what sparked the clash, however police had to use stun grenades and teargas to disperse the crowd.
In the latest GBV incident, a charred body was found at the side of the road in Mthwalume on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The body was covered in plastic and dumped at the side of the road.
It was reported earlier this week that at least five women were killed in Gauteng in the matter of 48 hours.
It has been widely reported that the number of GBV cases had increased since the implementation of the lockdown. According to Nehawu, cases had increased by at least 500%.
"We find it abhorrent that women continue to be killed and abused, mostly by people close to them. The Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated the problems faced by women in abusive relationships, because they become trapped with their abusers with no possibility to escape or call for help," the trade union said.
IOL