‘Culture’ of rape can’t go on

WHEN 17-year-old Anene Booysens was raped and murdered in the Western Cape farming town of Bredasdorp five years ago, South Africa was shaken from its slumber and forced to once again confront its national crisis of gender-based violence, particularly rape.

Thousands of other victims of rape and murder and of other sexual and violent crimes have since followed Booysens. And many more will come.

Angry, concerned and frustrated citizens have risen up from time to time to protest against this scourge, raise awareness and calling for action.

People have shouted “enough is enough” repeatedly during periods such as this month, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence towards the end of each year and after every major attention-grabbing incident. But the fuss does not seem to help.

Student, civil society and religious organisations, as well as state organs and political parties, have proposed or demanded various solutions. But the rape and death toll continues to grow. The destruction of people’s lives and of the fabric of our society by this insidious monster persists.

As student leader Khensani Maseko was laid to rest this week, on Women’s Day, many questions were asked. What is wrong with our men? Are sexual and violent crimes taken seriously? Why is our society so lethargic when there’s such a need for activism? How do we root out the “rape culture”?

To say nothing has been done would be unfair. Many fine initiatives have been undertaken to deal with the scourge. These include the call for a joint committee to monitor state departments’ work and actions in this regard; greater involvement by Chapter 9 institutions such as the Commission for Gender Equality; action plans and policies to prevent secondary victimisation; and efforts to improve support for victims at universities, police stations and courts.

Studies have been conducted, reports generated and recommendations made. Following the #Endrapeculture at universities, including Rhodes, suggestions included establishing a 24-hour counselling centre for sex-crime victims and independent boards for complaints.

What is lacking is earnest, consistent and persistent implementation of interventions. Everyone in a position of power needs to act or account for their inaction. If we really want to overcome this scourge, we need to take practical measures now. Enough talk.