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Police must Prioritise GBV

Dear Editor

Two recent incidents of alleged elder abuse have highlighted the country’s never-ending plague of gender-based violence (GBV) and domestic abuse.

83-year-old Sindiwe Ngqaza’s grandson allegedly abused her for failing to provide him with meat to eat, and less than a week ago, UThukela News Times posted a video in which a 40-year-old-man appears to be assaulting his mother in Mnambithi, KwaZulu-Natal.

And while Mrs Ngqaza’s grandson was arrested on 3 July on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and contravention of the Older Persons Act, the 40-year-old man is reportedly yet to be arrested.

The DA calls on victims to report instances of abuse to the police and for their communities to not let victims of abuse suffer in silence. Victims are often too afraid of retribution to report their abusers, while neighbours, family, and friends bear witness, but keep silent. We call on them to report abusers so that SAPS can intervene swiftly.

One of the biggest obstacles to addressing this scourge, however, is the underfunded budget allocated to combatting gender-based and family violence, severely hampering the prioritisation of these cases. These issues are compounded by a woefully understaffed police and detective service, leading to countless cases going unsolved and leaving innumerable victims without justice.

The DA will do everything in our power to call for the amendment of the budget in order to ensure that state funding in the SAPS is allocated to those programmes that need it most so that the women and children of South Africa are kept safe and secure from violence in all its forms.

Regards

Angel Khanyile MP
DA Member on Women, Youth and Person with Disabilities Portfolio Committee

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