The levels of physical and sexual abuse experienced by South African women and children are unacceptably high and unfortunately still growing, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Thursday.
She was speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria at the launch of the 365 Days national action plan to fight and eradicate gender-based violence.
”Gender-based violence has more chance of diminishing when the government and civil society synergise their efforts and work together towards the same vision. So we cannot give up,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
The launch of the 365 Days campaign, which stems from the 16 Days of Non-Violence Against Women and Children programme, was attended by about 700 people, with representatives from the United Nations and others in attendance.
Despite the growing movement of men in support of gender justice, the silence of men who sat on the sidelines and did nothing was a big problem.
”It [the silence] is as bad as endorsing deviant behaviour,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Executive director of Gender Links, Colleen Low-Morna, said crime statistics of rape were unacceptable and that they were only the tip of the iceberg as many cases went unreported.
Only one in nine rape cases were reported and South Africans should not rest until all rape cases were reported and the perpetrators successfully convicted, she said.
”The campaign will only be as good if people become a part of it and work together,” Morna said.
More details about the calendar of events for the campaign with assigned tasks and activities were needed, Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
”Until a calendar is produced and negotiated with the stakeholders, the 365 campaign is incomplete.”
The criminal justice system also needed to convict perpetrators of crimes against women as too many criminals fell between the cracks.
”The perception exists that perpetrators of heinous crimes get away with murder, so we need to create a climate which allows survivors to report crime,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said. — Sapa