Scourge of Covid-19, GBV

DEATH TOLL: PANDEMIC AND VIOLENCE CLAIM MORE THAN 21 000 LIVES SINCE MARCH

Gauteng, Western Cape and Eastern Cape hardest hit.

During the past six months, Covid-19 and gender-based violence (GBV) have claimed more than 21 000 lives in South Africa. According to the department of health’s latest data, 20 968 people in South Africa had as of Monday died from Covid-19. This represents 2.7% of the total 769 759 people who tested positive for the virus during this period.

And according to the National Institute For Communicable Diseases’ latest data, more than half of these deaths took place in three province – Gauteng, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, which recorded 4 174, 3 721 and 3 673 deaths respectively. Men above the age of 55 contributed the largest portion overall.

At the weekend, United Democratic Movement deputy national chair Mncedisi Filtane became the latest politician to succumb to the virus.

His death came on the back of that of former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani earlier this month.

In August, the Northern Cape’s MEC for education, Mac Jack, and the North West’s MEC for cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs Gordon Kegakilwe also died from the virus.

In July, the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal spokesman Ricardo Mthembu, Buffalo City mayor Alfred Mtsi, Langeberg mayor Henry Jansen and MP Zamuxolo Peter all succumbed to the virus.

Covid-19 has also claimed the lives of a number of traditional leaders, sportsmen and women, scientists and creatives.

The death toll, however, is far lower than the 40 000 deaths that were at one stage predicted to have occurred by now.

And health researcher Dr Shakira Choonara said on Tuesday the South African public health

response had been a strong one.

The virus represents but one pandemic that has ravaged South Africa over the course of the past nine months, with gender-based violence and femicide another.

According to the police’s latest

crime statistics for the first and second quarter of the current financial year, there were at least 23 rape-related murders between April and September and a total of 274 domestic violence-related murders over the same period.

The co-executive director at Sonke Gender Justice, Bafana Khumalo, said on Tuesday that the levels of violence against women and children in South Africa were unacceptably high.