Mothers’ union marches against gender-based violence

The state should invest in training women to run their own businesses to stop the cycle of financial dependency, and police should thoroughly investigate gender-based violence cases.

These were some of the demands contained in a petition handed over to Mthatha chief magistrate Nozuko Mviko and Madeira police station commissioner colonel Thaynne Petzer by members of the Mthatha Anglican Diocese’s mothers’ union on Thursday.

About 40 women from the union, joined by some male church leaders and other members of the community, staged a protest march against gender-based violence.

They told Mviko and Petzer that there had been a spike in such incidents in the area, and called for suspects arrested for these crimes to be denied bail.

“Their presence triggers anxiety in our communities and panic among the complainants,” mothers’ union deputy president Ncumisa Nompula said.

“We are also saying that warrants of arrest should not be determined by a suspect’s social status.

“There should be proper care and support for the complainants, psychological and spiritual, the latter by their church ministers. And complainants should also be kept updated on their cases until they are finalised in court.”

Nompula said during lockdown, 684 cases of domestic violence had been reported in the OR Tambo district alone. There were about 208 sexual assault cases reported in the same period.

The union’s president, Nyameka Tukute, told the Dispatch they wanted their structure to be included in the Eastern Cape’s gender-based violence committee.

She said the government should invest in business initiatives run by women to help break the hold financially sound but abusive partners had on them.

“Most victims, including children, stay in the same house as the perpetrators. They can influence their victims to drop cases as some of these perpetrators are breadwinners in their homes.”

She said those who abused women and children should be given minimum sentences of  15 years in jail when convicted.

Petzer said while gender-based violence statistics continued to surge, police records showed fewer cases were being reported.

“People should not stay silent. You must come and report these crimes so they can be investigated,” he said.

Mviko praised the role played by churches in raising awareness about the scourge.

She said even during the apartheid era, churches such as the Anglican church had been at the forefront of staging marches against the persecution of those involved in the liberation struggle.

Despite a gender-based violence and femicide forum set up in the OR Tambo district, the courts continued to deal with cases of violence against women.

She said it was her wish that each district could have its own forum.

Mviko  promised  the petition would be forwarded to the relevant officials and government departments.