25 Nov 2021

Men’s non-attendance at platforms intended to address gender based violence (GBV) is worrisome.

Various speakers at the launch of 16 days of activism against gender based violence Thursday, expressed worry and disappointment that despite men being chief perpetrators of GBV, they continued to shun platforms arranged to address the social ill.

Speaking at the event, which was  organised by Bobonong police, Kgosi Mogapi Marumo observed that women heeded and attended the anti-GBV meetings in greater numbers than men.

Kgosi Marumo opined that women probably attended the meetings in large numbers to demonstrate their sufferings while men felt attacked by anti-GBV messages.

The community leader said that some GBV perpetrators bragged about their crimes to an extent of publicly threatening to commit such offences as rape knowing that they would be out on bail in no time.

Consequently, Kgosi Marumo called for stiffer penalties for GBV offenders. He regretted that while police officers arrested and arraigned suspects before the courts, the accused ended up getting bails.

Those bailed, he argued, ended up repeating the offences.

“When you rape a woman, you’re not inflicting pain only to her, you’re also affecting the community,” Kgosi Marumo said to a few men that graced the occasion.

While reiterating that the GBV laws should be hardened, councilor Boitumelo Kgosietsile of Mabumahibu opined that time was ripe to empower women and children on self-defence.

“Maybe it is time to teach women and children defensive tactics against the very same men who shun occasions like this one meant to better their approach towards this GBV problem we are faced with,” said Mr Kgosietsile.

Mr Kgosietsile encouraged the police to work harder despite being faced with what he termed weaker laws.

Bobonong Police Station Commander Superintendent Paul Seoko  said he was disappointed that despite GBV having direct debilitating ramifications on women and children, some relatives, parents and guardians still requested the police to withdraw cases claiming they had resolved the matter at home.

“We have observed that such calls to withdraw GBV cases are common with rape and defilement matters,” said Supt Seoko.

Supt Seoko  stressed that crime must be reported to the police so that legal actions could be instituted.

Statistics from Bobonong Police show that the station recorded 130 GBV related cases in 2019, 125 cases in 2020 and 145 cases this year. Ends