The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities has urged the courts to ensure that those responsible for the brutal rape of murder of Anene Booysen rot in jail.
South African communities must stand together and help law enforcement agencies to stop the unfolding spree of rape and murder cases against women in the country. The high levels of women and children abuse in our country is a matter of grave concern and a painful reminder of the disregard for human life and human dignity.
We have absolute confidence that the alleged rapists and murderers of Anene Booysen will face the full might of the law. It is important that perpetrators of abuse crimes should be put behind bars.We continue to call on our courts to impose the harshest possible punishment against those found guilty of crimes against women and children. We believe that those who derive pleasure of abusing women and children must rot in jail. Violence against women cannot be tolerated in our free and democratic society. It is a gross violation of the Constitutional rights of women.
Many of these cases point to a deterioration of the moral fibre of our society. We urge members of our communities to join hands with government in order to help defeat the scourge of child and women abuse. We urge all South Africans to join this fight. When we know that someone is being abused in our own home or in our neighbour’s house, we have a duty to report it. The key message to every member of the community is: “Don’t look away. Act against abuse”.
As government, we have taken the war against gender-based violence to a higher level. On the 10th of December, government launched the National Council Against Gender-Based Violence. Led by the Deputy President, we are confident that the work of the Council will lead to a significant reduction in the incidents of violence against women and children. The Council is a multi-sectoral structure capable of providing authoritative leadership as we collectively confront violence against women and children. The seriousness with which government views gender-based violence and its impact on individuals, communities and society has been the driving force behind the establishment of the National Council Against Gender-based Violence.
