Government denounced for sub-contracting fight against GBV to NGOs

On Saturday, hundreds of people braved the cold and rainy Cape Town weather and marched against gender-based violence and femicide. The march was organised by the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation (UMF), in partnership with the University of Cape Town (UCT), Langa For Men, and the Makazole Mapimpi Foundation.

Uyinene was brutally murdered at the Clareinch Post Office in 2019, while she was collecting a parcel. Saturday’s march marked the fifth year since her brutal murder. 

Under the theme ‘“’Eliminate the Fear: Prioritising Safety and Security’, the marchers, which included school learners, walked from Darling Street to the front of parliament. 

Former Western Cape MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomafrench Mbombo criticised the government for leaving the fight against GBV in the hands of NGOs. “As a civil society you have done enough. Today I am taking responsibility and admitting that, as a government, we are not doing much. Even today, there is not a single government official who is part of this march. Where are the people who must help in addressing this issue? We are talking about this issue amongst ourselves and it is unacceptable. You have marched to the correct space by coming to parliament. You now need to disrupt the system. It’s been five years and nothing is happening,” she said, addressing the marchers.

Luyolo Lengisi, from Langa For Men, said fighting against GBV needs community effort. “It’s all our responsibility to take part in the fight against GBV. We are all affected. We will also keep challenging institutions that subject women. As men we need to start educating young boys about the meaning of being a man. We also need to create spaces for men to cry, we also need to find solutions, and not sit with them,” said Lengisi.

He said there is a need to start creating a society that supports men. “We do have spaces for men, but they are used for the wrong things. We must start using them to articulate our issues and educate one another about GBV. Let’s start conversations even at home and be the change we want to see. Because there is always a young boy watching.”

The poor capacity of police when it comes to fighting GBV is a national issue. Lengisi told Elitsha: “It’s high time that we challenge the government and hold the police accountable. A few years ago we challenged the Langa Police Station. They had a victim’s room, but it would be closed at 3 o’clock, and bear in mind most GBV cases happen late in the afternoon. We want the national police commissioner to come down and start initiating functional and victim-friendly rooms.”  

Uyinene’s mother, Nomangwane Mrwetyana said they are calling on the government to eliminate the fear women carry with them. “We remember Uyinene as a fighter, as the perpetrator also confessed himself that she fought until she took her last breath. She despised social ills, including GBV. Today, we want to say to South Africans that we have a collective responsibility. Let’s all take from Uyinene, and take the fight against GBV forward for a free South Africa. The theme for today is about eliminating the fear that women, children and vulnerable groups continue to live under.”

She said people should fight until GBV is defeated. “There have been many inroads. We started with a Post Office to Parliament march, back in 2021 where we were demanding that a national strategic committee be established. We saw that happening. We have seen the recent bill that has been signed by the president. But we still live in a society that is not free of gender-based violence. It seems that implementation is not there. As the foundation, we have managed to challenge the government, and they have heeded our call. We are doing a lot of work with learners from rural schools. Our main thing is to develop youth holistically, as Uyinene was a young person. We have done a lot of work. We want to ensure this scourge comes to an end,” Mrwetyana added. 

Sibabalwe Sesmani, from the Makazole Mapimpi Foundation, said their founder Makazole Mapimpi stood in solidarity with the Mrwetyana family since Uyinene’s brutal murder. “Being here for us was a no-brainer because we care about the fight against GBV, education of the underprivileged and using sports for good. The partnership was natural for us. Even the birth of the foundation, was largely inspired by what happened to Uyinene. We are calling on civil society to start collaborating. There is power in numbers and not working individually. We believe a lot in collaboration.”

UCT, Deputy Vice- Chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness Professor, Elelwani Ramugondo said it’s problematic that the government is not doing enough to fight against GBV. “GBV in South Africa is among the highest in the world. According to research, 165 police officers have been found to be also perpetrators of GBV. The people who should make South Africa safe are perpetrators. The system must be challenged. Women and children are not safe. In South Africa criminals have no fear. We must do everything in our power to make South Africa a safe place again,” she said.