Men urged to join in combating violence
Shabangu launches 16-day campaign in Bay as Zuma cancels
MINISTER of Women Susan Shabangu called at the weekend for men not to look away and to join hands with women in combating abuse of women and children.
She was speaking on Saturday morning at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism programme at NMU’s Missionvale campus, where proceedings were due to be geared around a keynote address by President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma did not arrive, however, and it was announced shortly after the event was meant to start at 10am that he would be represented by Shabangu.
Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle indicated in his address that Zuma’s absence was due to delays in the programme.
“The president of the country was expected to be part of this event,” he said.
“But we also disappointed ourselves by not adhering to the time schedule.
“It turns out the president had other events to attend to. He could not accommodate delays.
“You will remember that there is a bi-national commission with a delegation from Angola here in South Africa. The president had to lead those discussions.”
However, some officials speculated that Zuma’s absence was linked to the poor attendance of the event.
The audience, who barely filled half the auditorium – even after children were ushered in to fill a block of seats – did not seem disappointed by Zuma’s failure to attend.
Many proclaimed their support for his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma with T-shirts with the initials NDZ emblazoned on them.
Shabangu called on communities to stand together against violence.
“This is a continuous campaign simply because violence against women continues every day,” she said. “Domestic violence has replaced all the warmth that was in some households.
“Schools, which used to be safe places, have become high risk areas for girl children because of unscrupulous teachers.
“Even streets and other public spaces have become a hunting ground for human traffickers.”
She urged men to add their voices to the campaign. “The campaign should continue to include both men and women,” Shabangu said.
“Women should not fight alone. Do not look away.
“We all have a responsibility to fight against violence. We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated by this scourge.”
Masualle also called for better communication within communities about these issues, saying the sentencing in the Panayiotou trial on Friday sent a strong and necessary message to perpetrators of violence.
“Wherever we congregate, it should be that we speak out on the matter,” Masualle said.
“The biggest problem is the community getting out to expose elements like this.
“Some of these [cases] are hidden because they happen within the confines of the family and it is considered taboo [to talk about it].
“We [have to] get our people out of that mindset so that wherever this finds expression, it is exposed and acted upon.”
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