It was disappointing that gender-based violence (GBV) did not get much attention in the state of the nation address (Sona) last week.
Violence perpetrated against women and children was once declared to be the “second pandemic” the country was battling, by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This was at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, when GBV numbers spiked.
However, in his Sona speech, the president did not focus much on the scourge. He highlighted only progress so far as another box-ticking exercise.
Ramaphosa mentioned the three GBV laws, aimed at strengthening protection for survivors, that were passed last year. He further said they were improving access to and operation of sexual offences courts, and increasing support by establishing more Thuthuzela centres across the country. And that they were looking at “economically empowering women”.
This approach is worrying as we are losing the fight against GBV. The crime statistics between April and September 2022 showed that 19,516 rape cases were reported. While 24,000 serious assault cases were also registered by women.
Just yesterday, the Sunday Times reported that a 17-year-old had died after she was raped and fed brake fluid by a taxi driver near Hluhluwe, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The teenager was sent to buy groceries in town. On her way back, she got a lift from a driver she knew. However, he took her to a bush first, where he raped and fed her the fluid. She told her parents the story upon arrival at home and died later in hospital the same day.
This was reported a week after a Tshwane University of Technology student, Ntokozo Xaba, was found murdered at a residence. She had been stabbed to death, and her ex-boyfriend has been arrested and charged with murder.
We need a clear plan, with specific information, on how government is going to beef up the fight against GBV.
We welcome the introduction of legislation but we need more interventions.
But, in the presidential summit on GBV and femicide in November last year, national treasury announced that R13bn would be allocated to different departments to fight GBV.
We expected the president to at least talk about that on Thursday, and to tell us how far this has got.
What exactly is the money going to be used for? How much would be spent on campaigns to address social and cultural norms that contribute to perpetuating GBV in our society?
We can never do enough in the fight against GBV as long as women and children are still being killed.
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