Based on the South African Official Statistics Analysis, a fifth of women have in various ways endured brutality in intimate relationships, and a handful of some women have been wounded by men they know and men they are not acquainted with. This is a startling analysis considering the ironic popular belief that men are instinctively supposed to protect women. To tackle this issue, private and public sectors have to join forces and come to a common ground on nullifying the current state of affairs.

Taking the initiative, Activate Change Drivers (ACD) Generation G Programme in collaboration with Mordecai Ndlovu Foundation hosted a Gender Based Violence Community Dialogue to create a gender-just and violence-free society on the 25th of May, 2024, at Madelakufa Community Ground, Thembisa. The event kicked off with a thirty-minute session of cardio exercises, as an interesting way of linking Fitness and Health with Mental Health and Gender-Based Violence.

Guest Speakers from different organisations in the community that offer support structures and assistance to victims of Gender Based Violence and other types of abuse presented information on what they do and their expertise on the topic: The Department of Social Development (DSD) was represented by a Social Worker of the community, Lindo Zwane, as the first speaker of the day; the Get Informed Youth Development Centre was represented by a Social Auxiliary Worker of the community, Zigcine Manyama, as the second speaker; Mangena Community Development was represented by a Social Auxiliary Worker Student, Noxolo Seokotso, as the third speaker; Madelakufa Woman Empowerment was represented by the chairperson, Mpho Mokgotho; and last but not least, Activate Change Drivers Generation G Programme, as the organiser of the event, Action Aid and Sonke Gender Justice  were represented by a Radio Show Host and a Facilitator, Selokela Slu Molamodi, as a facilitator for the dialogue between the guest speakers and the community members.

Lindo Zwane, Social worker at the Department of Social Development (DSD), spoke rigorously on the concept of bullying, addressing the young members of the community. After explaining how the community may benefit from her organisation with regard to gender-based violence, domestic violence and bullying, she defined what bullying is, the consequences of participating in bullying and the ramifications of being a victim of bullying. What stood out for me, which many young people tend to sideline, was when she stated, “Bullying is one of the fountainheads of mental health-related issues. Simply put, making someone feel bad about how they look, how they act and how they perform, without intending to build them, may lead to trauma and ultimately suicide. You do not want to have blood on your hands, do you?”

The second speaker, Zigcine Manyama, a Social Auxiliary Worker from the Get Informed Youth Development Centre, concurred with Lindi Zwane’s philosophy on bullying. She prodded empathy for bullies from the audience in order for the community to report culprits as fellows who actually need help than deserve punishment, while promoting introspection to potential bullies themselves, by stating “What you might not be aware of is that bullies aim at inflicting their own insecurities and adversaries, if not any type of pain they are themselves feeling, into those they deem weaker and deserving.” It was Noxolo Seokotsa, a Social Auxiliary Worker Student from Mangena Community Development, who faded out the topic of Bullying straight into GBV, with a philosophy similar to that of Zigcine Manyama, when she said that perpetrators do not necessarily have a particular appearance and temperament in public. They could be among us and no one would tell until the victim comes out. So, she urged the audience to heed cries from victims, to take them seriously, to report them without doubt, and to let the law deal with it. Anyone can be a victim of GBV, and everyone deserves to be heard and attended to when they seek help.

The host, Selokela Slu Molamodi, reiterated all the Guest Speakers’ messages with broader and deeper clarity here and there before she commenced with an interactive dialogue with the community members. Under her facilitation, the community listed the causes of GBV as follows: poverty or unemployment, alcohol, stress, anger or uncontrolled temper and drugs. Selokela then expanded that stress and anger are not the same thing, to avoid confusion. The solutions proposed by the community were as follows: more programmes such as the programmes that were present, spreading awareness using word of mouth and on social media platforms, frequent availability of or exposure to social workers, and frequent and consistent community dialogues on the topic.

While the dialogue ended with positive feedback from the community, the highlighted hassle to a productive way forward was that such dialogues are not held frequently and consistently enough. The organisers noted that they have to host awareness events such as this on a regular basis like every month. All representatives of the present organisations acknowledged that the community knows best with regard to what they are experiencing in their spaces and what could help them. So, all the organisations pledged to intervene and help the community with GBV-related issues, and all they needed from the victims was for them to speak out and seek help. The date of the next dialogue is still unknown, but communication will be made with partners to see to it that the next dialogue will follow sooner than later. Organisers showed keenness to meet the community halfway.

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About the author:

Mpho (MrSir) Matlhabegoane is one of the A! Hub Writers. He became an Activator in 2019, and through Activate! Change Drivers, he underwent educational training with Programmes such as SWITCH Entrepreneurship Programme, National Mentorship Movement with Printing SA and Citizen Journalism with The University of Witwatersrand (Wits). He is a Mental Health Awareness Advocate, and to spread mental health awareness, he published three books that have been accepted by Gauteng Department of Education as of 2023, namely: The Story of MrSir (Word For The Record), Expanding The World Of Nerds, and Views and Emotions (Poetry Journal of MrSir).