Midrand Mbokodo Women along with Midrand community members and dignitaries who reside in the area marched against gender-based violence to Midrand Police Station recently to deliver a memorandum of demands.
Mathapelo Masemola, one of the organisers of the march explained that that the memorandum was a call to the government to provide more gender-based violence and femicide courts and support centres to be made available for victims. It also called for law enforcement officials to receive training in how to handle cases relating to gender-based violence, and for an introduction or intensification of life skills in the school curriculum among other things.
“We want victims to be properly handled when they go to police stations, we do not want them to face their perpetrator, victims must be protected against all that and more,” she said.
Johannesburg Speaker of Council, Nonceba Moloele said she supported the march not just because she was the Speaker but was also a gender activist, a mother and a sister.
“This is a crises that does not only need women alone but needs men as well to fight this scourge,” she added. “Especially if it happens in-between the 16 Days of Activism, where we say no to gender-based violence and many women are being killed. It shows that the perpetrators are disrespectful and as a society we need to identify and isolate them.
“We cannot have this situation of burying women every day, particularly young women because if we are burying young women it means this country has no future.”
Brigadier Lindiwe Magudulela of the Midrand Police Station accepted the memorandum. “I am receiving the memorandum today on behalf of the station as well as the district and we have heard the demands.
“We are going to do our best to make sure that gender-based violence is prioritised at this station. My plea to you is that when you hear a women cry next door, do not say it is not your problem, call the police, let us not wait for the complainant to be the one to come to the police station to report, you have the responsibility to help us by reporting.”
Details: For more information please contact the Midrand Mbokodo Women’s organiser Mathapelo Masemola on 083 857 8989.
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Community marches to say ‘no bail for gender-based violence perpetrators’
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