The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Men’s sector and its affiliate members are extremely horrified and shocked by the ever increasing inhumane and barbaric acts perpetrated by some males in South Africa, as evidenced by the gang rape of a 17-year old girl by seven males in Soweto. The sector calls upon all South African men, women and children to outrightly reject any forms of violence by continuing to expose these acts.
Rape and violence against women is a social time bomb in South Africa and a country plan is urgently needed to address sexual violence.
The Men’s Sector is deeply disappointed and worried by unabating high levels of rape and violence against women in South Africa. The SANAC Men’s Sector represents organisations working with men in the health and social field.
The sector also seeks to clearly state that sexual violence can only be stemmed by a strong and effective criminal justice system supported by social and community partnership that:
- Educates young boys and men about human and women’s rights,
- Builds respect and promote humanity and gender equality,
- Actively opposes violence and sexual violence against women.
The sector calls on all men and boys of South Africa, especially prominent leaders, to be part of the fight aganist this horrific scourge by challenging social norms that allows such acts to continue. We call on all men and boys to lead by example and reject the objectification of women and girls and expose violence against women and children in their communities and families.
We welcome the arrest of of the perpetrators who gang raped a 17 year old girl in Soweto recently and the arrest of the men who brutally killed Miss Pretty Nontombi Jonginamba (14) in her mother’s home in Gugulethu last week, and we demand for swift justice.
We also send our regrets to the families of women and girls who have been brutally murdered, raped and sexually assaulted in our communities. We will engage men’s organisations and provincial leaders on the 2nd of May 2012, in partnership with Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, where we will be drafting a country plan to address, amongst other things, violence against women and children.
Contacts:
National Chairperson of the Sector
Bob Phato
0835684375
Stubbs Maluleke
0824691086
South African National AIDS Council Men’s Sector
Secretariat Coordinator
Ps Mbulelo Dyasi
0797368103
