Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
22 March 2022
As Gender Based Violence continues to thrive in the country, in the fight against GBV, Thistle Groove Library in Kinross hosted a Women’s morning on 18 March 2022.
The purpose of the event was to empower women on taking a stand against Gender Based Violence and educating them on channels to follow after a rape incident took place.
The event was braced by the presence of Ms. Masondo Xolile, a representative from Childline South Africa,
(Thuthuzela Care Centre) and Mrs. Dorcas Nkosi a counsellor and a Pastor.
Thuthuzela is located in Evander hospital, the Centre is working together with the SAPS on GBV cases and Sexual cases.
“Since the start of the pandemic we have had a rise on the numbers of Gender based violence cases.
We plead with the community to report any type of harm that is perpetrated against a person because of their perceived gender sex, gender or sexual orientation”.
Counseling at the Centre is free should one feel they need assistance.
Thuthuzela also has forensic nurses, site coordinators and social workers who assist victims in terms of counselling and reporting of cases to the police,” said Ms Masondo.
Rape victims are also advised to report cases before 72 hours after the incident to the nearest police station or Thuthuzela Centre if they are near Evander.
They should also not bath.
According to Masondo, victims are given medication which prevents unwanted pregnancy, STIs and HIV/AIDS .
Mrs Dorcus Nkosi said the problem with perpetrators who are in prison is that majority of them are raised in broken homes and some on the streets were they have to learn to fend for themselves at a young age with no one to discipline and love them.
“Most of my rape patients says it’s because of the way women dress.
One of my client who is a serial rapist said the reason he raped was because whenever he saw a women dressed with short clothes he got the desire to have them,” said Nkosi.
Nkosi added further that in most criminal trials in this country on rape cases, the perpetrators rape even their own family members.
“Throughout the rehabilitation program they would cry for hours confessing to have killed or raped someone and through-out this process they admit to doing wrong.
They are remorseful of it but because the is this spirit within them that pushes for them to do wrong.
It becomes hard to rehabilitate them as some would be released on parole and later to find that they are back in prison because of the same matter,” added Nkosi with empathy.
“We need to go back to God as it is the end times, If we turn back and pray we would be able to ease the situation,’’ Nkosi cautioned.
