Patrick Godana, Sonkes MenCare Government & Media Manager is in Dutywa in the Eastern Cape where this weekend we have run a number of events to promote awareness around gender-based violence (GBV) as well as call for justice around the prosecution of the murder of Sandiswa Mhlawuli, a woman who was killed by a former partner. Every day in South Africa, three women are murdered by someone who is or was an intimate partner. This is unacceptable, and cities, towns & villages need to rise up as the people in Chafutweni/Dutywa & Butterworth are doing to demand that the police, courts & criminal justice system properly prosecute GBV and murder! The criminal justice system MUST provide recourse to victims of violence. Sandiswa left behind two children. Individuals also have a role to play - to stand up against violence, to not ignore it while it escalates, to role model different gender attitudes & to be a part of a social and cultural norm that says violence against women & children will not be tolerated, nor swept under the rug. Patrick and other Sonke colleagues have conducted a number of trainings & educational workshops and events in the communities around where Sandiswa lived and was murdered - from talking in a church, to training men around positive ideas of masculinity & engaged fatherhood, to meetings with village leaders, to strengthening community action teams (CATs), to organising a day of sports against GBV. Today, Patrick & many community members are at the Butterworth Regional Court as the case against Sandiswas ex (who admits to stabbing her) continues to be heard. We have reached out to the Commission for Gender Equality and are talking with local officials too to both identify and address the failures in the system that contributed to the situation in which Sandiswa was murdered (with a protection order in her handbag), and the failure of the police to keep the accused behind bars since the murder. Stay in touch with us here and at genderjustice.org.za to continue to follow this and other cases where we seek to bring attention to the failures of government to create an environment that better protects vulnerable citizens. [CP] [Photos from Patrick Godana]
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:37:28 +0000
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