EXECUTIVE MAYOR MARKS THE START OF 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM CAMPAIGN

Once more we are called to drum up the support to fight off the pain and cruelty inflicted on many of our women and children. It remains a tragedy that we still have so many victims of gender-based violence in South Africa. This situation is increasingly becoming worse with the rising incidents of Gender-Based Violence and the continued abuse of children.

Today marks the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and child abuse, a period which requires active participation from every one of us. It is a traumatic time for many who either must live with the history of being abused or those who still find themselves trapped in those horrific situations. These sharply focused sixteen days must reignite the fire in all of us to take a stance from our all our spaces and fight off any acts of GBV we come across. A call to action loudly speaks to this year’s national theme which is ‘30 years of advancing collective action to end violence against women and children’. We need to change how the rest of the world sees us, as one of the most violent countries towards their most vulnerable people. We need to ensure our children and women live in safe communities and have safe spaces available to them by reporting any acts of violence we witness and by offering a helping hand to those being abused.

In our collective pursuit of a society free from gender-based violence, it is imperative that we embody courage on behalf of our Children and our female counterparts and assertively address any injustices we encounter. Let us cultivate a culture of advocacy, where each of us champions positive change within our communities. United in our efforts, we become stalwart defenders of the voiceless, fostering an environment where dignity, justice, equity, and respect prevail for all.

MESSAGE BY EXECUTIVE MAYOR, ALDERMAN NKOSINDIPHILE XHAKAZA.