Grace Machel, humanitarian, activist and wife to late President Nelson Mandela lashed out at the lack of outrage against women and child abuse.
Machel, who is also chancellor of the University of Cape Town, said this at Rhodes University when addressing the third annual Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust Lecture, titled Values Based Leadership.
Read: 16 Days of Activism: 16 ways you can help to end violence against women and children
The occasion was leading up to the national commemoration of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children from 25 November to 10 December.
She lashed out at the lack of collective outrage by South Africans, against escalating violence on women and children by men and appealed to social science faculties at tertiary institutions to assist in the rebuilding of a values-based society in the country.
“We have been in crisis and social decay for three decades through unstructured families that lack the necessary building blocks of love, care, values and principles.
This results in violent attacks on women, the elderly and children. The rapid migration from rural to urban areas necessitated by oppression has broken the traditional village values that most of us were privileged to have. The family structure and its values are in tatters.” Machel said.
Read: No excuse for gender violence
She presented statistics showing that one in three young people experienced some form of abuse; the child murder rate in the country was more than double the global average; 40 per cent of men assaulted their partners daily and shockingly, a woman died at the hands of her partner every eight hours.
“We hear this in the media but carry on with our lives as if it has nothing to do with us. This in a population of 56 million people and women’s organisations which are not outraged. We are overwhelmed and have developed a high level of tolerance. This system needs a reboot and I think higher education holds the last hope for the nation.”
Machel singled youth as the only social group currently protesting against this social injustice and encouraged university students to be equipped with necessary basic values to be re-instilled into society.
Read: Alex youth discuss gender-based violence
“The institutions will make them aware of the absence of values and dignity than most elders are, equip them to change our behavior by touching and healing our souls and rebuild the family unit in order to shape a desirable society.”
This she said was essential as their parents grew in unstructured families which passed on an inter-generational system of disconnection and emotionally scarred people, normalised violence, corruption and lack of boundaries. She also urged families, schools and religious organisations to collaborate in salvaging essential structures for a values-based society, revive Ubuntu principles of collectiveness, respect for the elderly, family structure and right to life.
Professor Owen Skae commended Machel as a global citizen calling for values-based leadership which transcended many dimensions, challenged society to demonstrate outrage against abuse and urged the institutions to contribute to addressing societal challenges than rather waiting for solutions from leadership.
