CPF calls for banning of taverns in townships

Siyabangena Community Patrolling Forum is calling for the ban of taverns and shebeens in townships, which it claims are responsible for the majority of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) incidents in the country.

The forum’s crew is scattered over eight branches around Gauteng, responding to GBVF incidences in communities, among other things.

Emmanuel Maubane, one of the leaders of the organisation’s Atteridgeville branch, believes that closing every drinking hole in underprivileged communities is necessary to prevent GBVF incidents.

“This thing can be stopped by doing away with all these these shebeens that are all over the townships because I think GBV is made worse by them,” says Maubane.

“People who are under the influence of liquor end up neglecting their families because all they do with their money is spend it on alcohol. They end up fighting with their families due to their neglect and kids end up suffering because of the neglect too,” elaborates Maubane.

His colleague who oversees the Oliven branch of the group, Karabo Kunene, believes men should not feel entitled to lay their hands on women or children.

“We want to change the stigma around that and show that for one to demonstrate that he is a man, has nothing to do with him laying his hand on a woman or child,” says Kunene.

Green Door Civil organisation is crying foul over the justice system’s handling of GBVF cases, speaking firmly against bail for perpetrators.

Many civil organisations also agree with the rights group, demanding that every perpetrator be kept behind the slammer for their heinous crimes.

Green Door’s ambassador, Jeniffer Ramahuma, says her organisation has several branches across the country and provides assistance to survivors and families of deceased victims.

Ramahuma has recalled a case involving a three-year-old girl, who was reportedly raped by her stepfather, noting that it perplexes her that the child’s case was dismissed by the court, citing lack of sufficient proof.

“They arrested the perpetrator, soon after he was released. We were just told the case lacks evidence. In other words the child’s case holds no weight. We are wondering how a three-year-old is expected to prove her case when it is visibly clear that her body was violated,” says Ramahuma.

She suggests that officials identify other means of dealing with GBVF cases.

She says perpetrators of this nature deserve no space in society, as they are the cause of detrimental intergenerational trauma felt by countless women and children in the country.

The Teddy Bear Foundation reiterated its call for the country’s justice system’s handling of GBVF cases to be reassessed, saying how it is doing things now isn’t working.

The organisation’s Janet Herman says the GBV scourge requires more than just awareness.

She thinks the government should not have to deal with any more incidents of GBVF against minors, saying the way the court system currently handles such cases is unsatisfactory.

“We definitely agree this is a national crisis and this is something that we see at the Teddy Bear Foundation when we provide services to victims of abuse. The system is failing them; the justice system is failing the children. It is a crisis when the system is failing children who are the future of South Africa. Releasing perpetrators back into the communities places secondary trauma to victims and it is also placing them at risk and that is a huge concern for us,” says Herman.

She notes that her organisation has had to deal with far too many incidents of perpetrators re-offending after being released from custody, and that officials should ponder on that.

The Mail Martin Polokegong Centre, located in Roodepoort, serves as a safe haven for all victims of GBVF. It reports receiving victims daily, reflecting the thoughts of other organisations that believe GBVF should be declared a national emergency.

One GBVF activist mentioned how her organisation sometimes finds it difficult to deal with GBVF cases, recalling one case where a primary school learner fell pregnant after being raped by her father. She claimed that her school prevented them from engaging with the child when they attempted to help her.

Mail Martin Polokegong Centre’s Mail Sello expressed worry that her agency receives at least one victim every day.

“Almost everyday of our lives we do receive a case of GBV. So, the scourge is still a really pressing issue all over the country. Looking at the number of women and their children who come to the centre, it is clearly evident that we need to urgently address GBVF,” adds Sello.

She blames many of the incidents on perpetrators’ use of intoxicating substances, as well as their desire to exert authority over their victims.

Polokegong Centre also provides safe refuge for trafficked victims, who are brought into the country under the false promise of job opportunities.

She suggests that awareness of the GBV and femicide crisis in communities should be strengthened to avoid such occurrences.

Executive Director of Mosaic Women’s Healing and Training Service Centre advocate, Tarisai Mchuchu-McMillan, believes that the government must now apply practical ways to meet expectations expressed by civil groups who were at the GBVF discussions.

Mchuchu-McMillan runs an organisation that aids victims of domestic violence by offering legal assistance and connecting them with available shelters.

She recognises that South Africa is currently dealing with an intricate issue when it comes to fighting the GBV and femicide epidemic, expressing hope that today’s conversation around how to tackle the scourge, comes to fruition.

“What we do with the dialogue; What we heard today is what matters. Are we going to get into our cars and move on with our lives? Or are we going to implement practical steps? How are we going to strengthen the training of police officers, correctional facilities, and parole boards? We need to ensure that the outcomes of the discussion is positive,” says Mchuchu-McMillan.

Government had organised the roundtable, bringing in various stakeholders in a bid to find lasting solutions to the GBV scourge, which is experienced by at least 33.1% of all women aged 18 years and older in their lifetime.

 

Community members also expressed their indignation over violations against their children, saying they now need meaningful and practical measures, with the aid of government, to protect their kids. Written by Odirile Rabolao