The Transformation Alliance (TTA) leader Abel Tau, who was previously accused of sexual assault, has called for the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign not to be an event.
Tau made an appeal yesterday ahead of today's launch of 16 Days campaign, which will end on December 10.
He said: “TTA believes that 16 days are not enough. Activism against woman and child abuse cannot be an event, it should be a lifestyle.”
He said according to a report by Statista.com released on November 14 2023, “as of the 2022/23 fiscal year, almost 53900 South Africans reported being a victim of a sexual crime. Of those, around 80% registered being raped, while close to 7 600 South Africans disclosed being sexually assaulted”.
Tau said: “Tabling his report in Parliament on November 17, 2023, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that ‘rape cases remained stubbornly high with 10 516 reported incidents’.”
A United Nations Children's Fund’s report, he said, indicated that “more than three children and 12 women were murdered daily in South Africa over a 90-day period between October and December 2022. Another 21434 children and women suffered attempted murder of grievous bodily harm”.
“All these stats are incredibly high and alarming, we cannot continue to wait for 16 days of activism to speak out and fight this scourge. TTA urges South Africans to make activism against woman and child abuse, a lifestyle and not an event. Take it beyond the 16 days,” he said.
In April this year the National Prosecuting Authority declined to Tau prosecute for sexual abuse charge.
Tau, who was ActionSA Gauteng secretary, was fired from the party following reports that he allegedly raped a wife of his childhood friend and a fellow party member last year.
His sacking was also after an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse brought up by at least three women.
He previously told the Pretoria News that he believed he faced trumped-up charges and that he knew he would be vindicated.
“That is why I refused to apologise because I knew that I didn’t do it. If I knew that I did it, it was something that I would have apologised for,” Tau said.
Pretoria News