S. Africans urged to join hands in fighting surge in gender-based violence

CAPE TOWN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Calls emerged on Monday for South Africans to join hands in fighting a surge in gender-based violence following the hanging of two school girls.

The two teenage girls were found hanged on a school's dormitory premises in Stella, North West Province on Sunday morning, the latest incident in a series of gender-based killings that have gripped the country recently.

"We need to send out a strong message that the lives of our women and girls matter, we are not disposable and justice needs to deal harshly with anyone who takes the life of a woman or a girl in such a senseless manner, as in this case where the bright future of these two young girls has been prematurely stolen from them," Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said.

South Africans have seen far too many of their young women killed at the hands of their boyfriends, or ex-boyfriends, said Motshekga.

The two girls were believed to be killed by a 19-year-old boy, who was an ex-boyfriend of one of the two girls. The boy has been arrested by police and his name was withheld pending further investigation.

The motive of the killing at this stage is unknown.

Motshekga asked for a full report from the province into the circumstances leading up to the tragic incident and how the boy gained access to the dormitory.

The minister called upon communities to work together to address social ills that are affecting mostly young people of school going age.

"We need to see all stakeholders playing a role in ensuring that the integrated strategy for school safety is implemented to protect our learners against perpetrators of violence as we have seen in this particular case and indeed others like it," she said.

The hanging of the two school girls is reminiscent of Zolile Khumalo who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. Khumalo, a 21-year-old student at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), was shot dead on campus in Durban in full view of her roommate early this month following what police described as a domestic quarrel.

Also on Monday, the African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) said it is saddened by the high alarming rate of gender-based violence in the country.

In addition to the hanging of the two school girls, the organization pointed to another case involving suspended Commissioner of South African Revenue Services (SARS) Tom Moyane who allegedly assaulted his grandson's 17-year-old mother physically. A medical report shows that the woman suffered a bruised jaw, bruised abdomen and a cut to the inside of the cheek.

Moyane must face the law for alleged assault and the man who allegedly hanged the two school girls must face the law on murder charges, ANCWL Secretary General Meokgo Matuba said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

"South African women, children, gays and lesbians continues to bear the brunt of abuse in the hands of men. It is men against children, men against women, men against gays and lesbians," Matuba said.

The government must treat this as a national crisis and national security threat, she emphasized.

Gender-based violence must be fought by all members of society, political parties, civil society organization and businesses, she said.

The ANCWL also pleads with the media to also play a critical role in the fight against gender-based violence, Matuba added.

Radio stations, television stations and newspapers have a platform that they can use effectively to discourage patriarchy and male chauvinism, she said.

South Africa is among the countries that have the highest rate of violence against women and children. According to the South African Medical Research Council, a woman is killed by an intimate partner every eight hours in the country. Enditem