Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on men to work together to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and the abuse of children in South Africa.
The Deputy President was speaking during the National Men’s Parliament held in Cape Town on Saturday.
The men’s sector of the South African National AIDS Council - Civil Society Forum (SANAC CSF) held the biennial Men’s Parliament,, in partnership with the National Men’s Forum South Africa, SAfAIDS, and various stakeholders working with men and boys, on Friday and Saturday.
“We must be committed and strengthen our efforts in dealing with the scourge of violence in our communities. We must do this as a significant step to protecting future generations and breaking the cycles of trauma and violence that have characterised our society for decades.
“As the men of South Africa, let us therefore be committed to the freedom of all women, children, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and all vulnerable groups. Let us rally other men towards this cause of gender equality, social justice, and freedom for all. May we persevere on this path towards becoming better men for tomorrow,” Mashatile said.
The Deputy President acknowledged that many initiatives have been started by men to root out the scourge of GBV.
“Your recent initiative to unify all men’s formations during the national men’s lekgotla is commendable. With this work, society will take us seriously if we continue to work cohesively and not in silos.
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the SANAC Men’s Sector and National Men’s Forum South Africa must be translated into actionable frameworks at provincial and district levels to streamline men's responses.
“As government, we understand your need for resources, a topic we discussed at length last year November in Ha-Masia Village in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality in Limpopo. [Developmental] partners will readily engage with your member organisations, especially if compliance and accountability are prioritised,” he said.
Mashatile assured the participants that government remains committed to “supporting all initiatives put forward by men's organisations to mitigate the impact of” GBVF.
“We must join forces to bolster campaigns and networks aimed at combating violence against children.
“As a nation, we all bear witness to the unacceptable violence against children and must unite to protect our future generations — both boy children and girl children alike,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
