As President Jacob Zuma lead the launch of the Stop Rape in Schools Campaign on Friday, the Ecumenical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation (ESSET), could like to call on all the people of faith and all sectors of society to stand up and put a stop to the senseless rapes and cold-hearted murder of women and girls. It is worth mentioning that this campaign championed by Dept of Basic Education and Lead SA should not only be limited to raising awareness about rape, murder, the rights of women and girls but ought to a nationwide campaign that provide practical measures on how to put a stop to the scourge of rape.
The 17 years old Anene Booysen’s murder on 02 February and Oscar Pistorius’s allege murder to his girlfriend (Reeva Steenkamp) on 14th February are the latest classic examples that reveal how serious the violence on women and girls has become in our nation. Anene Booysen from Bredasdorp outside Cape Town was gang raped and murdered; her throat slit and body mutilated by a broken bottle with parts of her intestines lying next to her in the dirt at a construction site whilst the recent publicised Olympian athlete’s murder case drew the whole world to marvel at our tolerance of violence on women.
Though, both cases are tragic, inhumane and shameful, perhaps it was what our country needed to realise the urgency with which sexual violence in our nation needs to be addressed and rid ourselves of a bad reputation tag as a hub of violent crime country. As a matter of fact, the level of violence on women in the country remains unacceptably high. The crime statistics for 2011/2012 released last September by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa reflected 57,000 of rape reported incidents. The stats further highlighted that rape is still generally under-reported by victims. Many chose not to report their cases because often they would be re-traumatized by those who are supposed to protect them. They are usually subjected to secondary victimisation through delays in court processes, unavailability of magistrates and police’s incompetence to deal with sexual offenses cases.
ESSET believes that the escalating sexual offenses against women are a reflection of gaps that exist in not only our current legislation but also an indication of lack of political will in fighting it. We do not have public office bearers with the vigour and committed to addressing rape and gender violence. The 16 Days of Activism against the Abuse of Women and Children Campaign has been toothless in eradicating gender violence. The Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disability is also still new to effectively make an impact in dealing with the sexual crime on women and girls.
Though patriarchy features prominently amongst causes of sexual violence, it is not the solitary basis to rape. The way we socialise our boy child as society plays a role on how they treat girls and women even when they are grown up men. Erosion of moral fibre and abandonment of faith principles in our communities has led to disrespectful tendencies on women. Perhaps one of the scriptures that we ought to meditate on as we seek to deal with the many causes of the scourge of rape is: 2 Chronicles 7:14; (if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land). The sad reality is that sexual violence and abuse of women and girls is perpetrated by men in all class of society; from church ministers, teachers, public servants, thugs, miners, prominent sport personalities, celebrities etc.
ESSET views violence on women as sinful and therefore calls on the faith-based organisations and churches to make pronouncement against all forms of violence against women. Rape is evil and against God nature; therefore all of us should condemn it. As the church community who often press forgiveness upon survivors of violence, we should be careful not to subject them to secondary abuse. When we intervene in their cases, we need to handle them with extra sensitivity and objectivity and avoid contributing to their self-blame and putting more shame on them. Further, ESSET call on churches to take position with the survivors of violence and hold government accountable for its failures to deal decisively with violence against women. For we all know how the Lord has placed a distinct worth upon vulnerable groups of his time such as women.
The 17 years old Anene Booysen’s murder on 02 February and Oscar Pistorius’s allege murder to his girlfriend (Reeva Steenkamp) on 14th February are the latest classic examples that reveal how serious the violence on women and girls has become in our nation. Anene Booysen from Bredasdorp outside Cape Town was gang raped and murdered; her throat slit and body mutilated by a broken bottle with parts of her intestines lying next to her in the dirt at a construction site whilst the recent publicised Olympian athlete’s murder case drew the whole world to marvel at our tolerance of violence on women.
Though, both cases are tragic, inhumane and shameful, perhaps it was what our country needed to realise the urgency with which sexual violence in our nation needs to be addressed and rid ourselves of a bad reputation tag as a hub of violent crime country. As a matter of fact, the level of violence on women in the country remains unacceptably high. The crime statistics for 2011/2012 released last September by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa reflected 57,000 of rape reported incidents. The stats further highlighted that rape is still generally under-reported by victims. Many chose not to report their cases because often they would be re-traumatized by those who are supposed to protect them. They are usually subjected to secondary victimisation through delays in court processes, unavailability of magistrates and police’s incompetence to deal with sexual offenses cases.
ESSET believes that the escalating sexual offenses against women are a reflection of gaps that exist in not only our current legislation but also an indication of lack of political will in fighting it. We do not have public office bearers with the vigour and committed to addressing rape and gender violence. The 16 Days of Activism against the Abuse of Women and Children Campaign has been toothless in eradicating gender violence. The Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disability is also still new to effectively make an impact in dealing with the sexual crime on women and girls.
Though patriarchy features prominently amongst causes of sexual violence, it is not the solitary basis to rape. The way we socialise our boy child as society plays a role on how they treat girls and women even when they are grown up men. Erosion of moral fibre and abandonment of faith principles in our communities has led to disrespectful tendencies on women. Perhaps one of the scriptures that we ought to meditate on as we seek to deal with the many causes of the scourge of rape is: 2 Chronicles 7:14; (if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land). The sad reality is that sexual violence and abuse of women and girls is perpetrated by men in all class of society; from church ministers, teachers, public servants, thugs, miners, prominent sport personalities, celebrities etc.
ESSET views violence on women as sinful and therefore calls on the faith-based organisations and churches to make pronouncement against all forms of violence against women. Rape is evil and against God nature; therefore all of us should condemn it. As the church community who often press forgiveness upon survivors of violence, we should be careful not to subject them to secondary abuse. When we intervene in their cases, we need to handle them with extra sensitivity and objectivity and avoid contributing to their self-blame and putting more shame on them. Further, ESSET call on churches to take position with the survivors of violence and hold government accountable for its failures to deal decisively with violence against women. For we all know how the Lord has placed a distinct worth upon vulnerable groups of his time such as women.
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