The Minister pleaded on Sunday, following her participation on a 5km hillock hiking to honour all victims and survivors of GBVF at Rietvlei Zoo Farm in Alberton, Ekurhuleni.
The engagement was a partnership by the Gauteng Department of Social Development and the Charles Donald Phasha Foundation to bring together public figures in the entertainment industry to act as advocates in raising awareness on key issues affecting women, men, and children.
Amongst the participants was Deputy Minister of Communications Pinky Kekana, Tshepo Mokoena – a founding member of MADA and uncle to Karabo Mokoena who was brutally murdered and burnt beyond recognition by her boyfriend, and professional actors on Isibaya – Ayanda Borotho, Linda Sebezo, Sayitsheni Mdakhi, and Zakhele Mabasa to name a few.
Delivering her message of support, Minister Zulu said it is very important to strengthen the role of key players in the fight against GBVF and to reinforce the family preservation as a mechanism of dealing with GBVF matters.
“These are the people who must go to schools and other public areas to raise awareness that violence is no solution to any problems,” she said.
“As government, we are going to continue with dialogues at a local level. We will enter every house, street, or community so that we intensity our efforts in fighting the scourge of GBVF.”
“I wish violence should stop visiting us as South Africans. I raise the issue of violence first because it is not just violence against women and children, but we do have a problem as a nation where people think that to solve a problem there has to be violence.”
“As a nation we need to take some few steps back and ask ourselves – how did we get to this point. However, we must not stop by asking that question but also give answers.”
“So, we are here today because the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) wanted us to unite in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide,” added Zulu.
Participating in one of the dialogues, Gauteng Social Development Director for Restorative Services and Services to Children, Keba Ntwampe said her thinking is that when there is change, there is resistance.
“The root to gender-based violence and femicide is change. At this point in time, men are fighting back because as women we have passed the stage of equality, we want equity.”
“Men should start dialoguing about these matters. They must stop killing women if they feel under pressure. Equity is what we need to achieve as women and we will continue fighting for it,” said Ntwampe.
The 16 days campaign forms the pivotal point of government’s comprehensive 365 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children initiative.
South Africa has come very far in speaking out and addressing GBVF issues but still has a long way to go.
Femicide, rape and GBV still plague the country at rapid rates. During the past two years and during 2020, the country and the world was shocked at the gruesome and horror killings of women and children by men who were supposed to protect, care and support them.
Their ordeals still echo through the minds of South Africans and families of the women and children are still trying to come to accept and to deal with the barbaric way in which their loved ones were murdered.
The Gauteng Department of Social Development supports the activities of 16 Days as led by the Office of the Premier and spearheaded by the Department of Community Safety (DCS).
The department has been allocated thirty (30) additional Social Workers to deal exclusively with matters relating to GBVF. National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) has further availed funding for an additional five (5) contracted Social Work interns in the province.
Since the National Lockdown was declared, the department continued to render services to vulnerable women and their children through the funded shelters in the province, the Thuthuzelza Care Centres (TCCs) and has followed up on referrals on issues of abuse received from the National GBV Command Centre.
