Hundreds of patrons of township taverns in four provinces will pledge to stand against gender-based violence this month of August, a month where women of this country are honoured, and as part of a series of Tavern Dialogues on Gender Based Violence supported by Distell.
The Tavern Dialogues are facilitated by subject matter experts from NGO Act Now and are designed to educate and equip men to drive positive change in their communities.
The men are invited to open up about their experiences and views, particularly about what constitutes gender-based violence and how to address it.
In a new addition to the programme, the men will be invited to take the Never in Our Name (NION) pledge, an undertaking to stand tall, be brave and support the women of our country, and say Never in Our Name will GBV happen.
The pledge has also been signed by 450 taxi operators as part of a collaboration between the National Liquor Traders, the SA National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and Distell.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said men should play their part in ending gender-based violence and femicide and to take responsibility for their actions.
“There is no shame in speaking out against the abuse of women and children in our country. The shame lies in seeing a sister, a neighbour, a child, or a grandmother bearing the scars of violence and saying nothing. The time has come for the men of South Africa to unite against GBV in our communities,” Cele said.
National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, said the South African Police Service (SAPS) remained committed to strengthening the fight against Gender Based Violence and Femicide by allocating more funds and personnel.
“In the 2022/2023 financial year, the SAPS has allocated R1,3 billion to programmes aimed at preventing, combating, and investigating GBVF and its root causes. In a bid to also improve our response to GBVF, GBV desks have been established at all police stations. These desks are staffed with members who are trained to investigate and handle these cases.
“From 2010 to date, 6 192 life sentences have been handed down to perpetrators of GBVF and other related crimes. From April 2021 to March 2022, 14 728 GBVF perpetrators were arrested. The SAPS initiatives ensure collaborative policing activities are rendered with the intention to reduce all levels of crime in communities,” Masemola said.
“As the monitoring of compliance at licensed liquor outlets continues, SAPS management encourages everyone in the country to continue to work closely with the SAPS to ensure that crimes like GBVF are fully eradicated in our communities.
“We have also introduced measures to encourage the establishment of good practices and liquor forums at station level which are enablers to safer drinking behavior and responsible trading. Together we can win the war against GBVF with the view of realising the NDP 2030 vision of ensuring women walk freely in our streets and children play safely outside.”
Convenor of the National Liquor Traders Lucky Ntimane said people gathered in taverns to socialise and relax, and they should be safe spaces for patrons to interact.
“Violence has no place in our society and our taverns have an important role to play in upholding community values and promoting responsible drinking.
“This includes taking the lead in eliminating gender-based violence and femicide.
“With the litany of reports of women and children being hurt and killed by men, it is time for men to take a stand and lead in the fight against GBV and femicide,” Ntimane said.
The Tavern Dialogues will be held in 20 taverns in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Western Cape during the month of August, which is a Women’s month. They are hosted in areas identified as hotspots for gender-based violence from an analysis of official crime statistics.
