JOHANNESBURG - The Inkatha Freedom Party Women’s Brigade on Thursday welcomed the 23-year sentence of the former Parktown Boys' High School assistant water polo coach.
Collan Rex was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault and an additional three years for common assault.
"The IFPWB salutes the law enforcement agencies who tirelessly worked on the case while ensuring that the perpetrator faces the full wrath of the law.
"Crime against women and children must always be treated as priority crimes and the ruthless perpetrators who prey on women and children must be severely punished," IFPWB national chairperson Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said.
"It is therefore regrettable that hardly a day passes without reports of murder, rape, beatings, or other forms of violence against women and girls at the hands of men.
"These sickening acts are taking place in all parts of the country, involving perpetrators and victims of all ages."
KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said this was not a time for events and sloganeering about gender-based violence and women abuse.
"It’s a time for all of us to make a commitment that we have buried enough women already and now we say no more!"
"We have talked a lot about gender-based violence. We have demonstrated against it, but no change has been forthcoming.
"We have so many good laws dealing with these criminal acts but implementation has always been a problem. We need to find new ways of dealing with this scourge."
KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said the IFPWB was holding its conference on gender-based violence on Friday at the Durban Manor Hotel, where all women in leadership structures would make their contribution.