SADTU says NO to gender based violence
“We are not here to break the gates, but we are here to support the police, to strengthen their hand as they deal with very serious issues of violence against women and children,” said Cyril Ramaphosa.
As part of the union’s celebration for Women’s Month, South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) members marched from Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown to Moroka Police Station to hand over a memorandum against gender based violence on Saturday, August 12.
Dressed in a SADTU T-shirt the Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa led the march along with the African National Congress (ANC) members, SADTU and Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) national leadership.
Addressing the crowd outside Moroka Police Station, Ramaphosa assured them that the government will do everything in its power to make sure that the perpetrators of these crimes are dealt with accordingly.
He explained that the march was not confrontational but was an extension to support the police with the fight against gender based violence.
“This is not a march against our government, it is a march to strengthen the government to handle all these matters, carefully and with determination to make sure that the whole society rises against women and children abuse,” said Ramaphosa.
“We are not here to break the gates, but we are here to support the police, to strengthen their hand as they deal with very serious issues of violence against women and children,” he added.
Ramaphosa expressed his gratitude to SADTU for having taken up the initiative of leading such a powerful march. He said that he fully supports them with their memorandum.
The memorandum was addressed to the SAPS, Basic Education and Higher Education and Training, Justice and Women, Human Rights Commission and Commission for Gender Equality.
– It called on the ministry of the police to produce a progress report on the recent cases of gender based violence and to ensure that perpetrators of gender based violence are apprehended.
– To the Human Rights Commission: the memorandum called on them to monitor all law enforcement agencies to make sure they contribute to the protection of women’s rights as human rights.
– To the basic and higher education departments: Were requested to have more investment in the development of curriculum that will help break gender stereotypes and to ensure that educational institutions are safe for education workers and students alike.
– It called on the department of women to ensure that women are afforded adequate and continuous support post exposure to any forms of violence.
– And the department of justice to prosecute speedily those who are charged with gender-based violence and that, upon eviction, the perpetrators should be given a minimum sentence of 15 years with no option of parole.
“We, therefore, thank SADTU for being such a revolutionary trade union of the teachers of our country,” Ramaphosa concluded.
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