GBV a societal illness on the rise

According to police, the 2021/2022 third quarter’s crime statistics revealed that 903 women were murdered and 11 315 rapes took place between October and December of 2021. In 2021, Statistics South Africa (SSA) released a report, Crimes Against Women in South Africa, indicating that one in five women (21%) had experienced physical violence by a partner.

A victim of GBV, Cindy Mahlangu (not her real name), told the Herald she was emotionally and physically abused by her wealthy boyfriend and almost died from stab wounds in hospital. Mahlangu dated the man when she was still at school. Her mother was unemployed and her boyfriend provided for her family.

After a short period of dating him, she moved in with him. He bought her anything she wanted but eventually alienated her from her friends. “The physical abuse started when he began coming home late and when I asked him why he is changing his ways, he would slap me.

“He would apologise afterward, but demand sex after accepting his apology. “The next day he would come home with flowers and for two to three days he would be the perfect partner but after a while would go back to his old ways. “I eventually realised he was cheating on me with six women.

Also read: POLICE LEAD GBV FIGHT

One day I questioned him about it and that is when he turned into a monster and stabbed me twice in my abdomen. “When he realised what he had done he took me to the hospital; that was the last time I saw him. I applied for a protection order against him. “After I was discharged, I went back to my mother’s house and was able to complete my studies.

“I have a job and my own place now,” she explained. Cindy’s advice to women are to know their self-worth and that if he hits you once, he will do it again. She added that money is not more important than your life and women should walk away from abusive partners. Winnie Ramoba, a counselor at the Tzaneen Police Station Victim Empowerement Programme Centre (VEP), told the Herald that GBV is a huge problem in the Tzaneen area.

“GBV is big in our region, especially in places such as Bolobedu and the Tzaneen CBD. “Most of our victims encounter emotional and physical abuse through rape and domestic violence. “Bolobedu has a lot of taverns and most residents are unemployed and as a result, they spend a lot of time drinking. This is when the violence usually occurs,” she explained. Men are also victims of GBV, Ramoba said.

She recently assisted a married man whose wife of three years would get aggressive to the point of breaking their possessions and physically pushing the man around. The man, who wants to remain anonymous, told the Herald that after going through counselling sessions with Ramoba, his life and his marriage have changed for the better.

“The counsellor sat down with me and my wife and started going through our issues. It opened our eyes to a lot of things that we were not aware of. “She was able to speak to us in a way which both of our families were not able to. “We are grateful as our marriage is restored and we understand each other better now.

“It is an ongoing process and we are still working on some of the issues we had. “I want to thank Ramoba for her passion for people and building of families,” he explained. At the VEP centre they also assist victims with accommodation and food on a temporary basis, while they look for ways to take them back to society. For more information contact Winnie Ramoba on 073 014 4736. Famsa can be reached on 015 307 4833 or Powa on 011 642 4345/6 or 011 591 6800.