Buffalo City metro puts focus on moral regeneration

Buffalo City municipality aims to use the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) to tackle gender-based violence.

The MRM, which seeks to revive morals at all levels of society, is a point of major focus for mayor Xola Pakati and it is being spearheaded by the speaker of council, councillor Humphrey Maxegwana.

Attacks on women by men keep Pakati up at night, which is why he has devoted so much time to the MRM.

He said acts of violence against women and children confirmed that SA was far from reaching the point where it was considered a “morally credible and correct nation”.

“About a week ago, a young Nosicelo Mtebeni was killed and butchered by her boyfriend in such a barbaric manner and it is high time that we work together as stakeholders to end gender-based violence and femicide. 

“In just a short space of time in August 2019, we heard of the murder of Baby Lee Jegels in our city, and shortly after that, we learnt that Uyinene Mrwetyana, who had disappeared the same week as Baby Lee, was raped and murdered in Cape Town.

“We later got to learn of Angelique Clarke-Abrahams, who died at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital after being brutally assaulted and raped.

“There are many other rapes and murders of women in our city and nation,” Pakati said. 

The mayor took some comfort from the fact that Mrwetyana’s killer, Luyanda Botha, was handed three life sentences by the courts.

“While this cannot bring her back, it is better to know that the monster will never walk the streets of our land again, threatening other women.

“But we also cannot say that there are no monsters of that kind on our streets any more.

“They are still out there, committing such acts on a daily basis. The brutal and barbaric murder of Nosicelo Mtebeni allegedly by her boyfriend is full proof of this reality.”

Pakati strongly believes that movements like the MRM were essential to “rekindle society and put it onto the correct path beyond formal legal routes”.

“The law of our land is designed to function optimally after a crime is committed.

“But the Moral Regeneration Movement helps to ensure that good values are instilled in our society. It plays a significant role in preventing crime.

“The revitalisation of the Moral Regeneration Movement will help transform the moral fibre of our society and redirect our people to practise the values of our forebears, which were based on humility, courage and discipline. 

“We need the MRM to fix the crumbling social fabric in our families and communities.”

The MRM would help restore the moral authority of leaders in government, labour, business and society at large, Pakati said.

“It is sad that you sometimes find questionable characters in leadership positions in our society. As a result, the role of leadership is less respected in our communities.

“Leaders are losing the moral high ground. We need the MRM to help us restore the moral authority of our leaders.

“We really run the risk of creating a leaderless society when respect for leaders has been eroded.”