16 days of activism begins at KwaThema hall
The department of Justice and Constitutional Development hosted an imbizo of the 16 days of Activism campaign at the KwaThema hall.
The imbizo was aimed at raising awareness to the community of Kwatsaduza about the different types of abuse women and children face on a daily basis.
Warrant Officer Peter Tebeila of the social crime prevention unit warned men to stop deriding women’s bodies.
He says it’s a fact that within the SAPS there are officers who are not complying with the law, therefore he has installed boxes in all clinics in Kwatsaduza for complaints regarding any form of abuse by the department or even the public.
Gender directorate Mtibidi Rampete says the voice of women and children must be heard on a daily basis not just when there is the 16 days of activism campaign.
Acting chief magistrate of Kempton Park court, Daniel Thulare says women abuse is found a lot after the death of a husband.
He also advised women to know the background of their men before getting married.
Thulare explained the process of customary marriages in detail and asked fathers to seek for formal acknowledgements from the children’s court that they are the fathers of those children.
He also says elderly women who have been abandoned by their children with no financial assistance can also report to any court as long as they are really struggling.
According to Thulare the community needs to help the department of health to identify members of the community who are mentally or physically disabled so they can receive assistance.
His conclusion was to make the community aware that abusive suspects are given bail based on whether they will appear in court at a later date. Bail is denied if there is enough evidence against them that they will not re-appear in court.
Mandla Mthombeni Chief Magistrate of the Springs court says he is willing to work with the community provided they give information directly to him.
He says this habit of the community marching outside courts without a valid reason makes it hard for him to enforce public justice.
Mthombeni also told community members to educate themselves on the Domestic Violence Act and the Criminal Justice Act.
The imbizo ended with a question and answer session.
