Thousands of South African civil servants took to the streets to denounce and demand an end to the country’s pervasive gender based violence (GBV) in Pretoria on Friday.
Speaking with one voice, the public servants demanded an end to the abuse of women and children in the country, a campaign which has gone viral nationwide.
The march, which ended at the Union Buildings (seat of government) on Friday, was aimed at mobilising public servants to champion an end to violence against women and children abuse, and to sensitise all South Africans to acknowledge that violence against women and girls was a societal problem.
Speaking to the protestors at the end of the march, Women, Youth, Children and Persons with Disabilities Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said that taking part in the march showed how committed the public servants were in ending GBV in the country.
“This is long overdue. As government, we are here to declare war against gender-based violence and femicide, and to support all the victims of GBV,” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She added: “Never give space to perpetrators of violence and you should never harbour those criminals.”
At the workplaces, “all victims must be protected and that all employees must know that violations will lead to dismissals,” Mashabane told the civil servants, adding that all government agencies must have sexual harassment policies.
National Director of Pubic Prosecutions Shamila Batohi said her office was not going to stand by and allow women and children to be abused in this manner any longer.
Batohi met with National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole recently and the two offices have put together a strategy on how they and partners could ensure that there are prosecutors dedicated to the GBV cases, she said.
NM/jn/APA