Without systemic change and practical solutions, the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children will only ever be lip service. Set against the release of the latest crime statistics where violence against women and children increased sharply, it is clear that instead of two weeks of activism, South Africa needs yearlong effective action.
“We need to move beyond speeches and pamphlets from politicians and ministers and move toward addressing the broken systems that allow this violence to continue. Our systems should support victims and, even more importantly, protect those who are likely to become victims,” said Action Society’s spokesperson, Juanita du Preez.
Action Society laments that South Africa’s dysfunctional legal system emboldens criminals. Not only are abusers very likely to get away with their actions completely unpunished, but the paltry bail prices of those caught are insulting to their victims. Furthermore, parole approval and regulations should be stricter. On various occasions, Action Society has seen violent perpetrators released only to once again torment the person they were being kept away from or target someone new. A justice system should deter crime, not merely inconvenience, which is the case in ours.
As we have mentioned before, we believe that the devolution of powers of the SAPS and the NPA will go a long way in addressing the onslaught against vulnerable groups. If our suggestions are accepted, we strongly believe they will pave the way toward shorter trial periods, reduced case backlog, and swift justice for victims.
“There needs to be drastic change if we want to see a South Africa where women and children are protected and made to feel safe. The latest crime statistics showed that the war against women and children continues. In our view, 16 Days of Activism should not only be restricted to a mere two weeks of events and speeches but should become a philosophy every South African adopts throughout the year. A philosophy that pushes them to do everything they can to ensure the most vulnerable in their communities are kept safe from the monsters prowling around among us,” concluded du Preez.
