Men not doing enough about violence against women – Gender Equality Commission

Jabu Baloyi, from the Commission for Gender Equality, says men need to be taught differently by society. Speaking on eNCA, Baloyi said the commission had found that men were not contributing sufficiently to the ongoing battle to stop violence against women.

“We’re not doing enough as men, we’re not doing enough as a society, we’re not doing enough as churches.”

He said society needed to focus on developing positive personality traits in raising the “boy child” for them to know and understand that there was a line that should never be crossed.

Society needed to take advantage of the Life Orientation in the basic education curriculum and incorporate a culture of respect and a culture of knowing where to draw the line, Baloyi said.

It was important to change the mindset of the boy child, Baloyi said, which meant changing the mindset that a boy child was raised with “that says I have to do this because society taught me, I have to be man enough. I have to do this because nobody should talk to me in that way.”

Baloyi was interviewed after the country was shocked by a live stream video in which singer and dancer Babes Wodumo can be seen being beaten, allegedly by her partner Mampintsha.

The gqom star, real name Bongekile Simelane, has apparently has pressed charges against partner Mandla Maphumulo, whose stage name is Mampintsha.

She was seen at the Westville police station on Monday and family spokesperson Sakhile Mhlonishwa confirmed a case was opened.

A press conference scheduled for Tuesday morning was being organised by the family. Simelane is expected to make an appearance.

Meanwhile, police have launched a manhunt for Mampintsha.

Police Commissioner Kehla Sithole was interviewed on SABC’s Morning Live on Tuesday, where he gave the police three hours to find and apprehend him.

The three-hour deadline began at 7am and will end at 10am.

Police told the SABC that Mampintsha was currently missing, adding that they had a warrant out for his arrest and urged anyone with information to come forward.

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