Community United in Discussion on Gender-Based Violence

Tebogo Dikale

 

Name              Tebogo Dikale

Province          North West

District             Bojanala

Municipality     Rustenburg

Town               Phokeng

Date                21 July 2024

 

Community United in Discussion on Gender-Based Violence

 

The event happened after community members raised issues regarding Gender-based violence. One organisation organised an event and called Morafe to talk about this problem and how it can be reduced. Phokeng, Salema Section at Royal Bafokeng Institute (RBI) is where the event took place on 15 June 2024.

 

The community were present, with speakers from different organisations coming in and sharing their views on the problem and how we can solve the violence happening around the location as Morafe(community). Tshisimoso from Mahikeng affectionately known in the community came to stay with his parents sharing one room shared his side of his experience. He explained how it happened and saw the need to educate himself and came back to teach his parents about the ordeal after studying psychology.

 

“It was painful for me to see how my father made my mother a punching bag whenever he was stressed, not communicating rather with her and it was trauma also for me at such a young age I learnt of such violence”. He went further and explained that it motivated him to study psychology course so that he could be able to help his own parents first and then the community at large.

 

Kabelo Mokgatle waba Nameng, a social worker by profession also shared his experience on the job. He shared some statistics around Rustenburg and said in Phokeng, the cases of Gender Violence are not that high but cautioned the community why the number is very low and gave example: –

– Less reporting

– Private Security (Mapogo) not utilised

– Trauma Centre not being utilised

– Report cases both from the police station and other factors

– Cases being dropped

He also shed light on how they can be reached as social workers and how to report such cases at the police station as it has a Trauma office, where a complainant can feel safe and comfortable. He (Kabelo) pleads with the community to come to the police station and report such cases so that the violence against women and children can be reduced. He made such examples of how violence impacts the mind, and how it started.

 

One community member (Kgomotso) shed light on this matter and mentioned Mine (Impala) who didn’t want to be named. She asked if Impala could also employ more women. Create more employment for women so that women can stop relying on Men to provide for them.” I can’t report him if he beats me because he is providing for me financially. Look, I’m currently unemployed with two kids. I can’t report him because if I do, I will lose that source of income that’s why I chose not to report him, but he violated me physically. I applaud such an event to happen so that we can share our ordeal as women and what we are going through. I thank the organisation that organised the event”. She concludes. Kgomotso is not her real name.

 

Alice shared some light, “I think for me to see and hear stories on violence against women pains me because I’m a woman. So, such events give the community a chance to share what they are going through and teach them how to go about it and report the perpetrators to the relevant department at the police station.

 

I’m happy that our police station here in Phokeng has that room where we can open cases without any disturbance and receive counselling at the same time at the Trauma Centre. I thank the person who made it possible for the office to exist”. Alice concluded with a rear smile.