Bheki Cele calls on communities to work with police on GBV

Police Minister, Bheki Cele said society must work together to address the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in the country.

There has been an increase in violent crime and car accidents since the ban on alcohol sales was lifted.

“We are also calling all of society, this is more of a societal issue that all of us, instead of fighting amongst ourselves, really we must put effort in dealing with gender-based violence that is on an upsurge at the moment,” he said.

The minister is coming under increasing pressure to address femicide after several women were killed in the past week.

Gauteng police are currently investigating the killing of a woman whose body was found dumped under a tree in Dobsonville in Soweto.

President Cyril Ramaphosa called on citizens to end the culture of silence around gender-based violence.“It is a dark and shameful week for us as a nation.

Criminals have descended to even greater depths of cruelty and callousness. It simply cannot continue,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

“We note with disgust that at a time when the country is facing the gravest of threats from the pandemic, violent men are taking advantage of the eased restrictions on movement to attack women and children.”

“As we still struggle to come to terms with the brutality inflicted on Tshegofatso Pule, Naledi Phangindawo, Nompumelelo Tshaka and other women in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal whose bodies were found dumped this week, another woman has lost her life,” he said.

The manner in which these defenceless women were killed points to an unconscionable level of barbarism and lack of humanity,” Ramaphosa added.