Thembeka Ndwandwe

The “ happy women’s month” hasn’t been an exciting but rather a gloomy month for women of South Africa, as the gender based violence scourge still persists. Since the commencement of August, which is a women’s month in South Africa, women and children have been victims of gender based violence and many died at the hands of men. It never ends, it’s the same story every day, and “A woman has been killed by a man” “A 3 months old baby has been raped which entirely leaves most women asking themselves “Am I Next

Just a few days before the day that the country lamented the tragic death of Uyinene Mrwetyana, the country has yet had to deal with the sad news of losing yet another 19- year- old female at the hands of a man. We have seen headlines of a first year Wits University student, ‘Kwasa’ Zozo, who was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend because he couldn’t handle rejection.

We have seen hashtags, RIP’s, protests, men signing petitions promising to end gender based violence against women but does it really ever ends? Do the violent crimes committed against women and children end because of carefully written speeches with every fancy English words one can find in the English dictionary? No because Will and determination on the ground, not from a podium is needed.

The president himself declared that South Africa has unleashed the second pandemic which is gender based violence but we haven’t seen him taking concrete and tangible steps to remedy and most importantly to completely root out the gender based violence plight.

Many public figures have taken a stand to fight against the plight of GBV, including Basetsana Khumalo and Somizi Mhlongo.

Recently there has been a trending video circulating on social media platforms where Somizi Mhlongo, severely criticizes President Cyril Ramaphosa saying he prioritizes alcohol and cigarette ban over the issue at hand which is gender based violence.

He stressed that, the President should be as energetic and as committed when it comes to issues pertaining gender based violence just like he is when it concerns alcohol ban.

“Our sisters, our mothers and our children are dying at the hands of men yet there hasn’t been concrete and forward steps taken to remedy the issue at hand.  We are tired of speeches, we want actions,” he said.

Furthermore, he asked, what will it take for the President to shut down everything in the country because women are dying every day and they’re dying ten times more than that of road accidents but now that there has been accidents, it’s all over the news and he is considering to ban alcohol.

“Mr. President when are you going to shut down everything because of gender based violence, will it be the day when it hits home?”

“It’s easy for perpetrators to commit even more crimes or to physically harm women because they know that they will get away with it,” he added.

“We know more of people who are raped and killed than we know of culprits,” he said.

Moreover, he urged the President to take solid and intentional steps because women are dying every day at the hands of men.

Picture: news24.com