MMC Sun casts spotlight on scourge of violence against City’s vulnerable

12 June 2017

 

With South Africans still reeling from the recent spate of killings of women and children, members of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) on Friday, 9 June joined their South African Police Service (SAPS) counterparts in the Johannesburg inner city in a march against the scourge.

 

The march, from the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein, was also aimed at strengthening the hand of vulnerable women and children who were afraid to report abuse to law-enforcement agencies.

Sirens wailed and whistles were blown as scores of men and women in uniform marched through the streets to heighten awareness of the scourge.

Among the marchers was Member of Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Cllr Michael Sun, who said the City of Joburg was committed to making its citizens feel safer.

“We are very concerned about the increase in violence against women and children. We have thought that we cannot only just go out and say we care; we need to put this into action. So, what we have done is we have designed a pamphlet with safety tips and emergency numbers that anyone can call,” MMC Sun said.

MMC Sun called on women who felt not safe to blow the whistle and call for help. He said the whistle would help them to attract attention whenever they were faced with danger.

“Any notion that violence against women and children is nothing must be stopped. We will do everything within JMPD and SAPS to ensure residents of Johannesburg, especially women and children, are safe."

MMC Sun said violence against vulnerable women and children often went unreported. “It then creates a false sense that it's OK to commit violence. We think it's important to educate our youth that the culture of raising a hand against a woman or child is wrong. No one must ever believe in that abusive behaviour,” he said.

JMPD Spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said the recent spate of violence against women and children prompted female officers to convey a message to communities in which they said they felt the pain suffered by the victims.

“We want people to know that we are not going to keep quiet anymore. We want to say to all the women that if anything happens to them, if anyone abuses them or if they are scared of anything or anyone, they must not hesitate to report the matter immediately.”

For women to remain safe at all times, the City's Public Safety Department has urged them:

 Not to walk alone and always try to walk in groups;
 To let their families and friends know of their whereabouts and travel plans;
 Not to accept lifts from strangers;
 To always be alert of people and situations around them;
 To report suspicious people or cars to the police; and
 To blow the whistle and call for help if they feel threatened.