Gender-based violence and the vandalism of infrastructure during the COVID-19 lockdown will not be tolerated, President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned.
To this end, in his weekly newsletter message, the President urged communities to play their part in reporting such misdemeanours.
The strong message comes in the wake of reports of schools being burgled, trashed burnt, critical Eskom cables stolen while women and children were being murdered during the outbreak.
“When the lockdown is lifted and learning resumes, thousands of our children will have no school to return to, depriving them of the right to education.
“Eskom has also reported an increase in cable theft and vandalism of its infrastructure since the lockdown began, resulting in power supply interruptions and damage that will cost a considerable amount to repair,” said the President.
Public property is being vandalised – while the entire country is experiencing hardship because of the lockdown - is a demonstration of utter disrespect and disregard for the majority of South Africans who are law-abiding, he said.
“Unfortunately, criminals are also preying on the weak and vulnerable,” said the President.
Prioritising gender-based violence
Ngenzeni Zuma from KwaZulu-Natal was murdered last month by men who allegedly pretended to be soldiers to gain entry into her home. Simphiwe Sibeko, 14, from Soweto last week week suffered the same fate after her lifeless body was found dumped in bushes after having gone missing. Constable Percy Ramalepe was shot and killed while attending to a domestic violence call in Johannesburg last week.
President Ramaphosa said it is disturbing that during a time of such immense difficulty for the country, women and girls are being terrorised inside their own homes, forcing them to make desperate calls for help.
The number of calls to the GBV National Command Centre has increased since the lockdown began on 27 March 2020.
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, violence against women has become a global problem.
Last week, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said in a video message that since restrictions were imposed by countries around the world to contain the Coronavirus, women and girls were increasingly facing violence “where they should be safest: in their own homes”.
President Ramaphosa said South Africa has heeded the call for governments to prioritise gender-based violence in their national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support services to vulnerable women and children remain operational throughout the lockdown, including psycho-social services like counselling for women and children, sheltering and places of safety, and medico-legal services in cases of sexual violence.
The Gender-Based Violence National Command Centre remains operational. The President has also directed the Minister of Police to ensure that Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units are reinforced at police stations during the lockdown and beyond.
“We recognise since people may not leave their homes, women and children in abusive situations are vulnerable. Survivors of violence may not have access to phones or airtime, or public transport to take them to a police station, shelter or a doctor,” he said.
To this effect the Interim Steering Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, in consultation with civil society organisations, is developing guidelines and protocols for GBV management in the context of COVID-19.
During the lockdown, 148 suspects have been arrested for gender-based violence related crimes.
“But there is no excuse, nor will there ever be any excuse, for violence – against women, children, the elderly, members of the LGBTQI+ community, foreign nationals, not against anyone,” said President Ramaphosa.
Regarding the vandalism of public property and key economic infrastructure, the President said communities should report these incidences as they seldom take place in the absence of witnesses.
“When communities allow themselves to be passive bystanders when they witness crime, they become party to the sabotage that ultimately disadvantages ourselves, our children and our communities,” he said.
To criminals, the President Ramaphosa warned that the criminal justice system is not on leave and ready to deal with transgressors.
“You will be arrested, you will be tried and you will be put behind bars,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
