GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IS AN ENEMY OF SOCIETY, JUST LIKE APARTHEID

19 FEBRUARY 2013

South Africa has witnessed very disturbing activities of murder and rape of women and girl-children in recent weeks. The recent killing of Anene Booysen in the Western Cape and the brutal killing of Reeva Steenkamp by Oscar Pistrious  have SA citizens in serious shock.These dispicable actions increase everyday, posing a threat to the safety of  women and girl-children. 

The activities are a clear reflection of SA society and status of women. It is barbaric that 20 years into democracy, women and children are still treated like second class citizens who are subjected to high levels of abuse. These actions also demonstrate how partriachy is still entrenched in our society because most rapists and killers are themselves members of society.

The safety of women and children cannot be a responsibility of women alone but that of society at large. We call on all citizens, especially the youth, to unite against these perpetrators who are determined to reverse the gains made through democracy - which sought to build a non-sexist caring society, free of partriacy and safe for all including women to live in.

We call on all citizens to tackle any form women and child abuse with the same vigour with which apartheid was attacked because the killing and raping of women is destroying our country and the country's future as apartheid did. Apartheid promoted a situation whereby it was normal for people to be brutally killed and for women to be raped. This cannot be allowed in our democratic South Africa. We dealt way with apartheid; we need to do away with the murder and rape of women and girl-children.

Statement issued by the ANC Youth League - Office of the Acting President, Cde Ronald Lamola, February 20 2013

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