Gender rights groups slam government over GBV failures at Rockville march

Gender rights groups are criticising government for how it handles gender-based violence cases. They were speaking during a march organised by the Goodmen Foundation at Elka Stadium in Rockville yesterday.Activist Zukiswa Ndlovu says every year government launches the 16 Days of Activism campaign, but there are no tangible results.”We do tick box, 16 days against gender-based violence we have done it tick box,” he said.”The government releases a lot of money but doesn’t make a difference, but we beg the government and the judiciary system that someone can’t be found guilty with all the evidence beyond reasonable doubt and we still see the suspect walking freely in the streets.”Chairperson of the Amatyma Wellness Network, TT Mbah, is calling on men to encourage other men to denounce gender-based violence.”The biggest challenge that we have is that the perpetrators never come out and say they are abusers,” he said.”What we are doing now is actually encouraging every man to do a video of themselves to say that they commit and stand up to speak up against gender-based violence. If you are a perpetrator, you are going to have a problem doing that video.”Stats show 15 women are killed every day in a country with one of the highest rates of gender violence in the world.This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared GBVF a national crisis last week.