According to the police, 53 900 South Africans have reported being victims of a sexual offences in 2022 and 2023
As South Africa observes the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, MPs this week debated the severity of gender-based violence (GBV) and what measures should be taken to address the increase in cases around the country.
Deputy Justice Minister John Jeffery said GBV was a “painful indictment” on South African society.
“The high levels of gender and sexual violence are tearing our communities apart. Sadly, they are often committed by people who are known to the victim, a teacher, a friend or a neighbour,” Jeffery said.
He added that GBV is influenced by men who embrace “patriarchy” and a version of masculinity that threatens women.
The Democratic Alliance’s Nazley Sharif said men bear the responsibility for finding solutions to the problem. “This is so absurd because if men could stop GBV, we wouldn’t be a country with the highest levels of GBV in the world.”
Sixteen Days of Activism is a United Nations campaign held annually from 25 November (International Day for No Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day).
It focuses on raising awareness about the distressing effect that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women and children.
This year’s campaign was launched by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in Mpumalanga, with the theme “Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence and femicide: leaving no one behind. The sub-theme is “Safe access for women to clean water: a basic human right”.
The theme, according to Mashatile, speaks to the importance of involving all-society and multi-faceted approaches to fight GBVF. The sub-theme seeks to address barriers women face in safely accessing water and sanitation.
“The state must be tough on violence against women and children. They must mete out appropriate sentences. We call on our courts not to be soft on perpetrators,” said Mashatile, during the campaign launch in White River in November.
According to statistics from the South African Police Service (SAPS), about 53 900 South Africans have reported being victims of a sexual offence in the fiscal year 2022-23, with 80% reported being raped, while more than 7 600 reported being sexually assaulted.
From July to September, the SAPS said 10 516 rapes were reported, with 4 726 of these occurring at the victim’s or perpetrator’s home.
“These statistics are more than just figures; they represent lives shattered, trust fractured, and futures marred by trauma. Behind each number is a story of pain, fear, and the urgent need for comprehensive action,” Mashatile said.
The deputy president added that the government has introduced several policies and programmes, which include crucial legislative reforms, such as amendments to:
- The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill;
- The Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill and
- The Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.
“We have harnessed the roles, responsibilities, and resources of multiple stakeholders. For example, the establishment and capacity building of rapid response teams at provincial and local levels stands as evidence of our commitment to an inclusive approach to ending this pandemic,” Mashatile said.
Activists are calling for the government to take active measures to address the high rates of GBV in South Africa.
“While we review the progress made by male leadership across their respective sectors and articulate specific priorities to end violence on women and girls, which is well and good on paper, it should be central to our collective effort to realise that even in the conference room, there might be perpetrators and we must appeal to the south deepest points of their hearts to change, and create an enabling environment for them to do so,” said #NotInMyName president Siyabulela Jentile.
The 16 Days of Activism against GBV comes as former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius was granted parole and will be released on 5 January after being jailed for nine years for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day in 2013.
This week, two GBV cases took social media by storm after police arrested a 21-year-old student for the murder of Johannesburg teacher Kirsten Kluyts who was attacked while participating in a MyRun event in Sandton on October 29.
Werner de Jager was formally charged with the murder of Amanzimtoti pastor Liezel de Jager after she was found strangled in her driveway in 2021.