Voslroous SAPS and stakeholders stage campaign against GBV

Vosloorus SAPS Crime Prevention and the CPF along with various stakeholders, launched the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, with an awareness walk to hand over a memorandum at Vosloorus SAPS on November 26.

The purpose of the walk was to highlight and create awareness about the high levels of violence against women and children, who are raped, assaulted, killed and abused by men who are their brothers, husbands, uncles and fathers.

The SAPS and CPF marched from Vosloorus Stadium to Vosloorus SAPS to hand over a memorandum to the station commander of Vosloorus SAPS Brig Themba Denge.

They were accompanied by various stakeholders, including Vosloorus and Boksburg District Taxi Association, Ekurhuleni Mental Health and Trauma Centre, Wheels for Change, People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa), Gender-Based Violence Brigades and Clinix health group, among others.

The organiser of the march Const Nqobile Mthimunye of Social Crime Prevention said as the police, they are also saying enough is enough.

“We do not like seeing these things happening to women, children and also men. Today, we came to the community. We are inviting you to report cases, so let’s put a stop to it,” said Mthimunye.

The Vosloorus Green Door ambassador and CPF deputy secretary, Beauty Maboka, invited locals to use the services rendered by the Vosloorus Green Door to access help.

“MEC Faith Mazibuko has officially launched Green Door in Vosloorus. It is meant for debriefing, containing and referrals of cases to the SAPS, hospital and social workers, among others,” said Maboka.

“Green Door has 110% support from the police. If you are badly injured or you are scared, we can call the police so that they can take you to the hospital and the police station to report your case,” said Maboka.

Phumzile Ntuli from Wheels of Change, who spoke on behalf of stakeholders from Vosloorus and Katlehong, said they are tired of GBV and the increase of rape cases.

“We are tired of cases of rape among children and women. We also cannot exclude men because some are abused and they cannot get help.”

Ntuli said the problem is that women report abuse cases and later withdraw them.

She said one thing that makes dealing with GBV difficult is that women protect the abuser, often because that person is the provider of the family.

The memorandum was received and signed by Col Paul Mathebula, the Vispol commander on behalf of the station commander, who was not available because of other commitments.

Mathebula said the memorandum will be delivered to the station management and respond within seven days.

Demands noted in the memorandum

• We demand the police station to prioritise GBV cases

• Improve investigation, especially forensic evidence collected on rape cases

• Establishment of a GBV unit to give priority to this pandemic

• SAPS to allocate enough resources in GBV cases so that prosecutions can be sped up

• SAPS to provide a turnaround strategy for the fight against GBV

• Allocate resources to victim crisis centres to support GBV victims

• No bail for GBV perpetrators

• Scale up the progress that empowers rape and GBV survivors

• End victimisation of the rape survivors by the police

• SAPS to not allow victims to drop the charges

• SAPS to stop sending victims back home and say they must talk or resolve the matter.