Self defence classes could soon be at your local community hall if the City of Johannesburg’s Public Safety department has anything to do with it.
At the City’s Women Safety campaign that kicked off in partnership with the University of Johannesburg on 14 June, MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, said the aim is to roll out the first phase of this campaign, which targets female students throughout the seven regions within the City. Thereafter it would be expanded to all women by teaching self-defence classes in community halls as well.
At the launch, Sun invited martial arts specialists from the university’s Confucius Institute to teach students the basics of self-defence. Whistles and pamphlets were also distributed to students.
“After numerous acts of violence against women have recently been reported, specifically by female students in the inner city, the department decided to launch a campaign aimed at keeping the women in our City safe.
“The launch follows the forerunner event held last Friday at Mary Fitzgerald Square, where Metro police and South African police female officers marched against violence inflicted upon women and children in Johannesburg,” Sun said.
The university’s Dr Corné Davis welcomed the City as part of the social, sexual and gender-based violence workshop at the Sophiatown residence in Auckland Park.
“This programme has come a long way from my students educating me about child sexual abuse in this country. I put my heart into putting together a workshop for our students so that we can empower them,” she said. “We want to see a programme that sees results.”
Students will be involved in one of the themes of social, sexual and gender-based violence outlined at the workshop for the rest of their student careers.
Sun said that although the department aims to teach women to protect themselves in the case of a threat, it is important that people care for each other and condemn violence in any form.
“I also urge women to travel in groups, to report suspicious vehicles and crime to 011 375 5911 or 080 075 3342, to sound their whistles when they feel endangered, to share their travel plans with friends and family and not to accept lifts from strangers.”
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