NATIONAL SHELTER MOVEMENT CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF POLICE MINISTER, AS GOVERNMENT FAILS TO STEM SPIRALLING GBV PANDEMIC

South Africa’s Women’s Month is supposed to be a celebration of women and a commemoration of those who, in 1956, marched to the Union Buildings to oppose the extension of the oppressive pass laws of the time, intended to restrict their movement. Yet, sixty-six (66) years later, women are still oppressed and still do not have freedom of movement because of the fear of experiencing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) at the hands of men in this country. According to the National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA), government must accept responsibility for failing South Africa’s women and children and should make a stronger commitment to decisively deal with the spiralling GBV pandemic – which is ruining far more lives than Covid ever will.

The NSMSA feels that it is under Minister Bheki Cele’s watch that the violence against women and children has spun out of control, calling for the failed Police Minister to be immediately replaced with someone who is better equipped to deal with the country’s unique and specific policing issues. Furthermore, Cele’s disturbing comments that a woman should count herself “lucky” if she was raped by one man rather than by many, is another demonstration of his unsuitability for the job.

Why would he care about GBVF if he does not understand the true impact these crimes have on women?

We therefore call on the President to remove Bheki Cele as the Minister of Police!