While parliament adopted two bills aimed at curbing violence against women and children, families of victims who died at the hands of loved ones hope the laws will be adequately implemented to reduce the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV).
On Friday, MPs adopted the Domestic Violence Bill and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Bill, which were sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa for approval after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) sent the bills to the National Assembly, proposing amendments.
Last week, the NCOP passed the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill and sent it to Ramaphosa for assent.
The bill passed by the NCOP aims to amend the Domestic Violence Act, 1998, to provide for the manner in which domestic violence and related matters be dealt with by certain government departments. It will also aim to further regulate the obtaining of protection orders in acts of domestic violence.
However, this has come too late for Maselelo Kgoadi, 20, whose mother was allegedly murdered by her father in Tembisa in January.
Her father, Samuel Kgoadi, allegedly bludgeoned his wife Koena Kgoadi with a hammer after the couple had an argument. This was after Koena obtained a protection order against her husband a week prior to her murder.
“These laws don't mean anything because even though my mother called the police, they arrived too late. [They are] the people who are meant to make sure that people are protected, especially those who have protection orders. Look at my mother, she died even though she had a protection order,” said Kgoadi.
“I hope it will work better for other people and that the government can make sure that they are able to protect women in the future,” she said.
#Notinmyname secretary-general Themba Masango told Sowetan that the bills may be progressive, but they would fail in their purpose if they were not implemented as they should be.
“What is more important than anything else, more important than the bill being signed, is for the law to be enforced properly to protect women and children as it is intended. SA has all these laws that look good on paper, but are not actioned,” said Masango.
In the latest crime statistics released by police minister Bheki Cele three weeks ago, a grim picture was painted depicting the rise of violence in SA, specifically in connection with murder and GBV. More than 10,000 women were raped during a three-month period between April and June this year.
“Let me put it this way, a dog can have the loudest bark, but if it has no teeth, then it is useless. These bills should arm the state to prevent incidents of GBV, that’s the only way we can say that they are effective,” said Masango.
Three GBV bills were introduced in parliament in 2018 after a large group of women marched to the Union Buildings in a protest against the high number of GBV incidents that rocked the nation.
Moloto Mothapo, Parliament’s spokesperson, said: “The house also passed the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill. The bill seeks to amend the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977, so as to further regulate the publication of information which revealed or may reveal the identity of an accused, a witness or person against whom an offence has allegedly been committed who is under the age of 18 years.”
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