Police Minister General Bheki Cele has called on men to work together in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide.
He held a ministerial Imbizo in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape where he engaged communities on GBVF-related issues and how to curb these social ills.
This is the second official visit by ministers in Lusikisiki in less than two months. In March, five deputy ministers converged here to engage traditional leaders and community members on GBVF and femicide.
Another resident says, “I think the only solution to this scourge will be for us the youth to work together and fight for our women. These visits by ministers will not help if we don’t change our mindsets as young people to stand up for our mothers and sisters”.”It’s very painful because they get killed by people we know. It’s difficult to come forward and say you have seen something because their own parents defend their children,” the resident says.
“In the year 2010 we had 200 000 police, that time we were 50 million South Africans. This time we have 182 000 and we are 60 million, which means the ratio of policing does give the problem of the police responding,” Cele says.
The Police Ministry says about 10 000 police at colleges and academies will be absorbed into the police force to address the shortage of human resources in the service.
Police Minister Bheki Cele leads a Ministerial GBV and Femicide Imbizo at Lusikisiki: