LIMPOPO – Addressing women at the Women’s Day celebrations held at Mashamba, Zama Zama on August 12, councillor Lorraine Mashamba called on women to break their silence about abuse.
Mashamba said this was needed in order to stop “the unacceptable behaviour towards women”.
She took the opportunity to condemn men who take advantage of defenceless women.
“No woman or girl child deserves to be sexually abused. Any form of sexual abuse should be reported to the police, so that the culprits can be brought to book. Men who abuse women and children deserve to be locked up in jail for the rest of their lives.”
Mashamba said men who raped and murdered women were cowards who were controlled by evil spirits and drugs.
“They deserve to be locked up for good. We don’t want them to return to the community. The most common types of abuse are physical, sexual and emotional (or psychological) abuse,” said added.
She highlighted that most cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse in South Africa, go unreported.
“We need to engage traditional leaders as much as we can. There is no ‘correct’ way for victims to respond to or feel about abuse.
“People who are abused experience confusion, fear, hopelessness, helplessness and shame.
“Another way of highlighting issues of child and women abuse is to speak with the women and children themselves on how they should act against any kind of abuse.”
One of the speakers, Mercy Rambau said it is disheartening that most cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse in South Africa are not reported.
“I urge all victims of abuse to report these incidents to the police,” she said.
Rambau encouraged community members to speak out on all kinds of abuse and not wait for tragedies to happen.
She said the event was focused on how to reduce domestic violence against women.
Pastor Agnes Ntshauba said women need not keep quiet about the abuse that was happening around them in villages.
“It is everybody’s responsibility to look after our neighbours and check in on our neighbours.
“Problems should be tackled at an early stage, and gender-based violence could be overcome if we all stand with the police and fight the scourge vigorously.”
