A march against women abuse

Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre rolls out #Sisonke, a campaign against the abuse of women.

August 15, 2019

Kgotsofalang Mashilo 2 minutes read

Brig Nkhensani Lemba (Germiston SAPS station commander), W/O Phillip Sethole (Hawks DPCI) and Sr Hazel Moagi (manager of the Bertha Gxowa Care Centre) were ready to hit the Germiston streets in support of Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre’s #Sisonke campaign against the abuse of women, last Wednesday morning.

In light of Women’s Month celebrations across the country, Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre rolled out their #Sisonke campaign against the abuse of women last Wednesday.

The centre partnered with the Germiston SAPS, Hawks Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), Gauteng Department of Health, Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), EMPD, Human Trafficking International (HTI), the metro and Traditional Health Practitioners (THP) among various other stakeholders to present their campaign to locals in the city.

ALSO READ: A march of solidarity against gender-based violence

The organisations marched through the Germiston CBD with placards in hand, singing war cries and distributing pamphlets, urging bystanders to report crime and stop gender-based violence.

Lindokuhle Makhwenkwe and Abel Ngomane raised their placards proudly calling for a stop to violence against women at the #Sisonke march led by Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre in partnership with the Germiston SAPS last Wednesday.

According to Sr Hazel Moagi, manager of the Bertha Gxowa Care Centre, the march was to not only highlight the importance of keeping women in our communities safe but to encourage health practitioners to speak out on sexual harassment in the workplace and any type of abuse as well, whether experienced at home or in the workplace.

“With the help of Mavis Dlamni, who is a clinical psychologist and our guest speaker today, we hope to encourage our staff members to speak out about abuse as well,” she said.

Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre’s #Sisonke campaign members march through the streets of Germiston last Wednesday.

“Another focus area is mental health awareness.

“We deal with a variety of cases at the care centre. Some of them are gruesome and leave us traumatised but we do not speak out or seek professional help to help us manage the trauma we experience at work.

“As caregivers we often neglect our own health, and we neglect to check up on each other as colleagues.

“Just like the women we are trying to reach out to today urging them to report abuse, I too can become a victim of rape or domestic violence. I can experience harassment in the workplace too and I need to know what steps I can take to report such incidents.”

The Germiston SAPS station commander, Brig Nkhensani Lemba, happily marching for change through the Germiston CBD last Wednesday.

The march came to a halt at the Germiston Police Station where health practitioners offered health screenings for HIV/Aids, pap smears, prostate cancer and high blood pressure, among other illnesses.

ALSO READ: Taking a stand against gender-based violence

Tshepo Hope Mofokeng from Traditional Health Practitioners (THP) marched in Germiston on Wednesday in support of #Sisonke, a campaign against women abuse.

Taking a stand against drugs, Mahlatse Masha from Community Support Programme Germiston.

Mmakwena Ramushu from Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), singing and marching in Germiston, in support of Bertha Gxowa Hospital Care Centre’s #Sisonke campaign, against women abuse last Wednesday.

Have a story?

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist) kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za

Also follow us on: