Pretoria - Thousands of residents in the North West are expected to take to the streets today to present a memorandum against the scourge of rape.
The march is to precede the launch of the Ambassadors of Goodwill Project, prayers, and roll out of the North West Provincial 2013 One-million Signature Anti-Rape Campaign, to be held at the Mmabatho Convention Centre.
The anti-rape campaign themed, ‘Tirisano Mmogo-Unite against Rape’, supports the million signature campaign, launched by Premier Thandi Modise in partnership with the National Interfaith Council of South Africa (NICSA-North West Chapter) last month.
Modise had earlier said that crime was eroding the moral fibre and needed to be fought on all fronts.
The procession of the march, which will involve learners and the aged, will start from Mmabana Cultural Centre and proceed to the Convention Centre.
The programme for the campaign launch includes prayer sessions, lighting of a symbolic candle, poetry session, gospel, testimony from rape survivors and prisoners arrested for rape.
It will also include a DVD display of photos of identified rape victims, the launch of a whistle blowing campaign and distribution of pepper sprays to senior citizens.
A discreet help desk of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit will also be on site to assist community members check progress on reported rape cases.
The Ambassadors of Goodwill Initiative and distribution of safety kits to the elderly is in response to Modise’s call for crime prevention structures such as Community Policing Forums, street committees and neighbourhood watch groups, to look into providing elderly women, who live on their own, with whistles that they can blow to alert their neighbourhoods when in danger in their homes.
The initiative is led by the South African Police Service and supported by the Office of the Premier, Office of the Status of Women, South African Women in Dialogue, Departments of Human Settlement and Public Safety, Social Development, Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Education and the Mahikeng Local Municipality.
Betty Titse, age 98 from Tloung village in Mahikeng and 11-year- old Ofentse Mogale from Mmakau were among the victims who were murdered during rape incidents in the past few months.
Partners supporting the one million signature campaign and the Ambassadors of Goodwill Anti-Rape Project, which will be rolled out across all districts in the province, include NICSA-North West, COSATU North West, the Provincial Council on Aids, churches, women’s prayer groups, Motsweding FM, North West FM and all community radio stations in the province. – SAnews.gov.za
