Community Safety MEC says no to violence
The escalating number of brutal killings of women and children in 2017 has left many devastated.
As the lead department in fighting the scourge of domestic violence in our province, it is encouraging to see messages which condemn this plight take centre stage in Gauteng.
The escalating number of brutal killings of women and children in 2017 has left many devastated.
As the Department of Community Safety, we have taken the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign to look deeper into the negative impact rape has towards the victims and how far we have come to assisting to repair the scars of rape in the victim’s lives.
During the quantum rape massacre, the department has taken a number of victims under their wing to assist them in dealing with the aftermath of rape.
We have seen these young women triumphing over the excruciating pain of being molested by their loved ones and strangers over time.
Studies reveal that the sexual molestation may differ from person to person but it leaves the same emotional and the physical scars.
While the society gives the impression that going for counselling or sharing your agonising pain with a close friend will heal you and life will go on.
The reality is, many rape victims find it hard to receive love from significant other and would struggle to settle down due to the rape incident from the past.
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Some of the rape victims would suffer from anger management towards the opposite sex while others will suffer from low self-esteem.
“When somebody rapes you it is as if they have killed you inside forever. I grew up with a stepfather who started to touch me from the age of 12. I kept this as a secret from my mother and friends because he gave me luxuries that my mother couldn’t afford.
“However when the going got tough I couldn’t take it anymore,” said one of the rape victim Luthando Mkwanazi from Ikhaya Lethemba, Women Empowerment Centre.
Through the Women Empowerment Centre, Ikhaya Lethemba, the Department of Community Safety we will continue to make sure that raped victims don’t carry a burden of being rape on their own. We will continue to encourage men to be protectors of women.
During the Police Portfolio Committee crime stats briefing in parliament early this year, it was revealed that between April and December 2016, 30 069 cases of rape were reported.
From the previous period, it amounts to approximately 110 reported cases of rape per day.
It is unfortunate to witness how these figures indicate that the huge number of women who are silently suffering from the trauma of being raped.
In such incidents, we cannot help but look deeper into our selves. An African culture which suggests that a family name should be carried with esteem at all cost may have contributed to the silence many women suffer from today.
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Many African families still believe that men are considered as the head of the household even if he is a rapist. As a result, rape becomes a “family secret” instead of it being looked at as a criminal offence.
The South Africa’s rape definition states that “any person (‘A’) who unlawfully and intentionally commits an act of sexual penetration with a complainant (‘B’), without the consent of B, is guilty of the offence of rape”.
This includes the oral, anal or vaginal penetration of a person with a genital organ, anal or vaginal penetration with an object and the penetration of a person’s mouth with the genital organs of an animal.
The recent social media rape outbreak by celebrities and everyday people flooded social media with personal accounts of sexual assault and harassment, responding to calls to break the culture of silence around such abuse.
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People shared stories and offered support under multiple hashtags, including #MeToo. This is a testament to the fact that scars of rape are not be completely healed.
Rape is a silent killer and can only be conquered in unity. It is no doubt that we are a wounded nation and the fight to destroy the scourge should be intensified.
Studies reveal that it’s important to remember that your feelings of helplessness, shame, defectiveness, are just emotions, not a reality.
During a sexual assault, it’s extremely common to freeze and your brain to body shuts down in shock, therefore, you shouldn’t blame yourself.
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One should also remember that it’s common to think that if you don’t talk about your rape, it didn’t really happen. But you can’t heal when you’re avoiding the truth.
And hiding only adds to feelings of shame and loneliness. As scary as it is to open up, it’s what will set you free.
However, it’s important to be selective about who you tell, especially at first.
Your best bet is someone who will be supportive, empathetic, and calm. If you don’t have someone you trust, talk to a therapist or call a rape crisis hotline.
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16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children is a worldwide campaign that opposes violence against women and children.
It is aimed at raising awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children and to rid society of abuse permanently.
Where to get help Victim Empowerment Centre Ikhaya Lethemba Tel: 011 242 3000, Fax: 011 242 3017, Cell: 071 925 9606 SAPS Crime Stop Tel: 08600 10111 Gender – Based Violence Command Centre Tel: 0800 428 428 Tel: 0800 GBV GBV Stop Gender Violence Helpline Tel: 0800 150 150 SMS *120*7867# from any cell phone Family and Marriage Society of South Africa (FAMSA) Tel: (011) 975 7107 Childline Tel: 08000 55 555 National Crisis Line Tel: 086 132 2322 SA National Council for Child Welfare Tel: 011 339 5741.
