Second Current Story

SEKHUKHUNE TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP UNITE AGAINST GE

Traditional Leadership within the Sekhukhune District gathered at Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality to attend the Launch of the Sekhukhune Traditional Men's Parliament on 15 August 2024. The seating served as a platform for Traditional Leaders to engage in an open dialogue and tackle issues pertaining to gender-based violence at district level. Traditional Leadership engaged in an open dialogue on issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the Sekhukhune District.
Directing the programme for the day, Kgoshi Maila listed Economical, Financial, Psychological, Sexual, Emotional, Physical abuse as the different types of gender-based violence and further went to highlight that it could be perpetuated by both males against females and females against men.

"Gender-based violence is applied by either men or women who are powerful and it is through this sitting that as Traditional Leadership of Sekhukhune, we choose to unite and take a proactive approach in dealing with GBV for the safety of women and children in our respective communities,” said Kgoshi Maila. A representative from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ms Thandi Mageza advised victims of GBV who are afraid to report at the Police Station to opt for Thuthuzela Centres as they are multi-disciplinary action centres. “Victims of GBV can alternatively report cases at Thuthuzela Care Centres because at these centres is where you will find a Clinic, NPA and Police working together in one centre for the comfort and safety of victims.
Member of the Sekhukhune Men's Sector, Mr Mohube Masha pleaded with Senior Traditional Leaders to not intervene on matters of GBV as most perpetrators get away with abuse because families of victims choose to resolve cases of abuse at Traditional Councils and not at court where perpetrators are brought to book. "As soon as a GBV case is reported to the Traditional Councils, Senior Traditional Leaders should refer it to the nearest police station and not contain it,"Masha concluded.