Johnathan Paoli
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for harsh sentences against people who are found guilty of murdering and abusing women and children.
Mashatile was speaking on Saturday, during the launch of 16 Days of Activism Campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children in Mpumalanga, and said that the courts must apply appropriate sentences against those found guilty of GBV.
“The State must be tough on violence against women and children. They must mete out appropriate sentences. We call on our courts not to be soft on perpetrators,” Mashatile said.
Mashatile highlighted three important pieces of legislation that President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law last year, namely the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill and the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.
The bills had been tabled in Parliament by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola in 2020 following a huge public outcry over escalating GBV cases, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns.
The deputy president said that as of the 2022/2023 fiscal year, almost 53,900 South Africans reported being a victim of a sexual crime, with 4,726 rape incidents reported to have taken place at either the home of the rape victim or the home of the perpetrator, which is known to the victim, such as a family member, a friend, or a neighbour.
In addition, 293 innocent children have also tragically lost their lives, as well as a total of 361 incidents of attempted murder and 1,820 cases of assault causing grievous bodily harm were tragically inflicted upon innocent children during the same period.
Mashatile said the courts have to take action against those found guilty of sexual violence against women and children and that communities must reclaim their streets from perpetrators of GBV.
The new laws are expected to reinforce and strengthen mechanisms to fight the growing plague of GBV and fill up all the current loopholes in the system.
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