The mere fact that a community needs to debate the topic of violence against women is a shame

18 September 2019

The mere fact that a country has to have a debate on the highest level and is forced to come up with plans for gender violence, particularly violence against women, is a serious charge against a community and its own value systems and norms.

In a community with good values, the safety and dignity of women should be a given. Debates in Parliament should rather focus on topics like service delivery, unemployment and poverty.

Like any form of violence, violence against women must not be tolerated in South Africa. Everyone in the country has a responsibility to take action and do something about it. Just talking about it will not help.

Unfortunately, that is all the government offers the people: Words without action.

What is just as unacceptable is the government's double standards for human dignity in the country.

We have serious problems when the Secretary-General of the ruling party openly insults minority groups – white people in particular – by referring to them as ‘kwele kwele’ and when certain politicians say that the only white people who can be trusted are dead white people.

If everyone starts acting like this, our country is doomed. One cannot try to combat violence with the one hand, while inciting violence with the other hand.

South Africans must ask themselves what they are doing with their hands: are they reaching out to others or are they hurting others; are they building or are they breaking and looting? Are we pointing to ourselves to take action against injustice or are we merely pointing the finger at others and shifting the blame?

Or are we doing absolutely nothing?

South Africa can become whole and reconciled again if everyone is willing to take decisive action against all forms of violence before it destroys the country and its people.

Issued by Armand Cloete, FF Plus MP: NCOP, 18 September 2019