Drumming on Gender Based Violence can curb the scourge

By: Emmanuel Sekokotla

Media's fixated and unswerving attention on the outbreak of Corona Virus across the globe has elevated extensively awareness about Covid 19.

Daily media talking points are consistently reporting on newly reported cases, deaths and measures that call for action to avoid the spread of this epidemic. This drumming, that has had the whole world on an urge is succeeding in disseminating necessary messages about the virus.

The outbreak presents to us an important lesson about messaging consistency in dealing with a scourge of any nature, which we can learn from to deal with Gender Based Violence in the province and nationally.

We are a country where statistics show that every 3 hours a woman is murdered. One would then expect extensive drumming on femicide related cases on daily basis with a focus that moves aware from focusing only on heinous criminal nature of the these crimes; to preventative measures on how to deal and uproot this plague just like with Covid 19.

The country and the province has witnessed in shock recently vicious murders of Tazne Van Wyk, Dr Sibongile Nkuna and the four Phasha children just to list a few cases that are still a fresh wounds in our hearts. These brutal incidents hogged media headlines as the happened but faded away when new breaking stories broke. The drum stopped, waiting for another breaking story.

The President and Limpopo Premier have called for tougher stance against perpetrators of GBV. These calls and a plethora of other messages from government and civil society organizations should find a platform where there are consistently without fail amplified to raise awareness about GBV. There should be consistent messaging that empower women and children on how to deal with cases of gender based violence at homes and in society; messages that teach women and children on how to report these cases; and measures to follow when cases are not opened by law enforcement agencies.

Addressing the International Women's Day celebration at Motsephiri Village, Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality the Acting Premier-MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nandi Ndalani urged law enforcement agencies to show their teeth when dealing with this sort of crimes and further urged the national government to review parole laws. “Many women have been killed by perpetrators who have been released on bail. We want the law to change so that it can offer more protection to women who are mostly the victims to these crimes.” This message and many other messages which condemn GBV should drum and reverberate daily and as often as possible in various media and societal communications platforms to highlight how as a province and country at large are grabbling with heinous crimes committed against women and children and provide solutions that can empower women, children and men to STOP GBV.