South Africa: Localities team up to take back the night

On the 23rd November 2012 Capricorn District Municipality and Polokwane Local Municipality hosted a combined event of the Take Back the Night March, to mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against gender violence campaign.

The march aimed to highlight issues of gender violence within the area. Partners held the march at Seshego Zone 2 Extension identified as one of the areas where GBV in particular cases of rape and f sexual assault are rife.

Approximately 80 people participated in the event including members of the community, South African Police Service (SAPS), Government departments and other stakeholders.

The Executive Mayor of Polokwane Municipality Cllr Freddy Greaver gave the welcome address and highlighted the importance of the event. He emphasised that all stakeholders had a role to play if gender violence is going to be addressed effectively.

The SAPS Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Major Mbembe gave a message of support and shared the statistics generated by SAPS which show the high levels of GBV. He encouraged survivors of GBV to report their cases. He also indicated that issues of GBV needed to be given a high profile as the number of rape cases and incidents of violence were alarming.

Cllr L Mapoulo who is the Executive Mayor of Capricorn District Municipality, gave the key note address and stressed the importance of strengthening relations between government departments and non-state actors such as NGOs, local government structures, municipalities and the private sector as part of an integrated approach. He commended the work that was being done already within the ground level to address these issues.

The event ended with a candle lighting ceremony performed by Bishop Azundwini of the South Africa Council of Churches to commemorate those survivors of GBV and victims who have also passed on. He urged he community to take a firm stand against gender based violence.

Click here to read more about the four province study which includes preliminary findings of GBV levels in Limpopo