The South African Police Service held it`s first men`s Imbizo in Khayelitsha on Monday, to address the ongoing gender based violence and Femicide, Domestic Violence and Sexual offences crisis in the township.
Source: SAPSThe meeting
was attended by men from various areas
in the township mainly in
Harare, Lingelethu-West Site B and Makhaza as these areas have recorded the
highest GBV cases.
The imbizo was led by
Provincial Commissioner, Lt General Thembisile Patekile and his management
team. Police Minister Bheki Cele and Western Cape Police Oversight &
Community Safety MEC, Reagan Allen, representatives from the liquor industry;
gender activists, youth and civil society formations also attended the
community engagement.
Speaking at the meeting, Police Minister Bheki Cele said even
though police are playing a role in providing victim centred-services to all
victims of GBV, he added men too must change the way they view women.
“It is a fact, men commit the most violent crimes against
women, for some reason, men think they own women and this false sense of
ownership often leads to men treating women with disrespect and violence. It’s
quite simple, women are fully fledged human beings and are not our pets.”
The minister then concluded by saying that GBV can be
defeated if everyone including other government departments play they role and
concluded by saying that GBV engagements with men, should be happening on a
regular basis in order to eradicate GBV.
By Lulama Klassen
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