Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has reaffirmed the department’s commitment to eradicate gender-based violence, and support families and communities affected by the scourge.
This comes after the murder of a 25-year-old woman, whose body was found in the middle of a road with several stab wounds at Umzinto, in the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday.
Sibusiso Lawrence Ntaka allegedly killed his girlfriend, Nontobeko Cele, and posted his confession on social media.
Ntaka was later found hanging from a tree on Wednesday, not far from where Cele’s body was found.
Chikunga has strongly condemned the tragic and senseless murder and extended her deepest condolences to the family, friends, and Cele’s loved ones.
“This incident, which occurred shortly after the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, is a devastating reminder of the need to accelerate our efforts to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
“As a nation, we must move beyond 16 Days and commit to 365 Days of Activism to eradicate this scourge,” Chikunga said.
READ | Men urged to seek help when facing emotional triggers
The Minister recently joined King Misuzulu kaZwelithini in KwaZulu-Natal, to lead the Men Unite Against GBVF March, which called on men to take an active stand against gender-based violence.
“This tragic case underscores the urgency of our call to action. It is a stark reminder that, while we are making strides in mobilising communities, more needs to be done to ensure these commitments translate into lasting change,” the Minister said.
The department acknowledged the swift action by the South African Police Service in investigating the case, and the provision of psychosocial support to the families by social workers.
Misuse of social media
Chikunga also condemned the misuse of social media to perpetuate harm and violence.
“The exploitation of social media to glorify violence must be stopped. Platforms must take stronger measures to prevent the sharing of harmful content and ensure [that] the dignity of victims and their families is protected.”
The Minister further called for collaborative efforts across society to tackle GBVF.
“This incident reaffirms the need for robust, year-long interventions, community-based initiatives, and stricter measures to address GBVF at its root. We must unite as government, civil society, and individuals to create a South Africa where women and children can live without fear.”
Alarming rates of GBVF persist in KZN
Meanwhile, the province of KwaZulu-Natal continues to report alarming rates of GBVF.
The recent national crime statistics showed that police stations in the province, including Umlazi and Inanda, lead the country in gender-based violence related crimes.
READ | KZN reassures public safety through collaborative initiatives
The data from the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, revealed that 35.5% of women in South Africa experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and many of these cases occurred in KwaZulu-Natal.
READ | Over seven million women have experienced physical violence, study reveals
Alarmingly, 22.4% of ever-partnered women reported experiencing physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime, while 7.9% reported experiencing sexual IPV.
“These figures highlight the pervasiveness of IPV as a major driver of GBVF. The department remains committed to implementing policies and programs that address the root causes of GBVF, promote gender equity, and hold perpetrators accountable,” Chikunga said. – SAnews.gov.za
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Midas
3. to be injected with the AIDS virus for a slow death.
So the German said, \”Shoot me right in the head.\” Boom, he was dead instantly.
Then the Italian said, \”Just hang me.\” Snap! He was dead.
Then it was Van der Merwe turn , and he said, \”Give me some of that AIDS stuff.\”
They gave him the shot, and Van der Merwe fell down laughing. The guards looked at each other and wondered what was wrong with this guy.
Then Van der Merwe said, \”Give me another one of those shots,\”so the guards did. Now he was laughing so hard, tears rolled from his eyes and he doubled over.
Finally the warden said, \”What\’s wrong with you?\”
Van der Merwe replied, \”You guys are so stupid…..
I\’m wearing a condom.\”
nutmeg
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?