Anti-GBV postcards reveal all

LEARNERS suffer a great deal of gender-based violence and sexual harassment from some teachers in schools in exchange for good marks. The harassment always goes unreported and needs to be stopped immediately.

This strong message, shared by Grade 9 Langa High School learner Sinazo Zwelinjani, is contained in one of the 440 postcards for the anti-GBV organisation Langa for Men.

The group visited schools in the area yesterday, collecting the postcards from schoolgirls that describe their experiences with gender-based violence and the government interventions that are needed to stop the abuse of young girls and women.

Langa for Men co-founder Luyolo Lengisi-Hawule said the organisation collected the postcards from different schools to form part of a memorandum for the “SA Post Office (Sapo) to Parliament” march on Saturday.

“We have partnered with the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation for the Sapo to Parliament march, where we will be requesting that a National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) be established,” said Lengisi-Hawule.

Meanwhile, Ilitha Labantu, in partnership with the Harare police and the Community Policing Forum, held an anti-GBV motorcade to help break the silence on the abuse that is plaguing the Harare community.

Spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said throughout the national lockdown, communities on the Cape Flats had experienced a significant increase in cases of gender-based violence and the frequency and brutality with which some of thes crimes have been carried out was concerning.

Monakali appealed to the justice system to impose harsher sentences on perpetrators of GBV.

News Agency(ANA) PHANDO JIKELO African #LangaForMen Organisation visited schools in partnership with Uyinene Mrhwetyana Foundation collecting Postcards sent to them to express how girls feel about GBV. Young boys were asked to also make a pledge against gender based violence.