GBV convictions must equal GBV crimes

22 April 2020

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans from Priscilla Isaacs MPL.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure that they build a watertight case against the perpetrator who allegedly raped an 82-year old woman in Noupoort over the weekend.

We condemn the incident and applaud the police for their speedy arrest of a 37-year old suspect, who is alleged to have broken into the woman’s home in the early hours of the morning, before he proceeded to rape her.

It is deplorable that anyone could consider violating a woman in this way, let alone someone who is old enough to be their grandmother.

It is also tragic that an elderly resident, who was meant to be isolating at home in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus and avoid exposure to this new pandemic, was instead exposed to the pandemic of gender-based violence.

It is increasingly clear that gender-based violence in the Northern Cape knows no limits, adheres to no regulations and has no mercy.

Gender-based violence must be addressed with the same zero-tolerance approach towards the criminals, as what the rapists who perpetrate these crimes show to their victims.

We appreciate the fact that MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Nontobeko Vilakazi, wasted no time in visiting the elderly victim and instructing the police to leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrator to book. We appeal to her to adopt this case as her personal project and to oversee it to ensure that it is managed by the book, with SAPS doing everything possible to secure a conviction and a harsh sentence.

It is high time that convictions for GBV start to equal the number of GBV incidents that are reported. At the same time, the number of GBV cases that are reported should start to tally with the number of GBV cases that actually occur.

Only when perpetrators of such crimes start to realize that there is no place in society for their evil deeds by receiving fitting punishment, will we start to turn the tide against sexual violence, give victims the confidence to report all cases and achieve a decrease in actual incidents occurring.

We need to stand together against the GBD pandemic, just like we are standing against the Coronanvirus pandemic.

Issued by Priscilla Isaacs, DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Gender, 22 April 2020