Durban - Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo led a men's march in northern KwaZulu-Natal to show support for the 16 Days of Activism campaign to fight violence against women and children.
The men, including mayors and faith healers, from various sectors in the uThungulu District marched because they are frustrated and angry about the crime levels, especially against women and children in their communities.
A local female doctor was hijacked and shot while visiting a local clinic to provide medical care, computers have been stolen from a local clinic, three mobile clinics were hijacked and government offices have been shut down after they were broken into.
These are just examples of a few incidents of crime in the area. The Community Healthcare Centre indicated that the number of assault, stabbing and gunshot cases is increasing.
This year alone, there have been 808 assault, 49 gunshot and 493 stabbing cases.
"We will only succeed in rooting out crime and related social ills if we start in each and every household, every street and every ward," said Dhlomo during the march in Nseleni township, where the community was urged to unite against crime.
One in three of the 4 000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year.
The Medical Research Council issued a policy brief that showed South Africa has some of the highest incidents of child and baby rape.
The Department of Health's District Manager, Mfowethu Zungu, said crime committed under conditions of poor social cohesion is often systematic and intended to terrorise the community, break up families and destroy communities.
The district is largely rural and there is great adherence to traditional customs and traditions, said Zungu. The march was therefore organised in the belief that men, in particular, and all sectors of the community have an important role to play in reducing crime and violence against women.
He said that health is specially placed to ensure that women and girls who suffer from violence have access to appropriate care and services.
