KZN Premier calls for dialogue to combat GBV

KwaZulu-Natal’s Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has issued a clarion call to men across the province to engage in open dialogue about their feelings, insisting that an urgent behavioural transformation is essential to combat the spectre of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Speaking at a recent media engagement on GBVF cases and the ongoing interventions undertaken by the Provincial Government to combat this crisis, Ntuli highlighted a troubling trend among men, particularly in black communities, where unexpressed emotions often manifest as violence against women and children. 

“Hence, we are encouraging that there must be more dialogue that will create a platform for men. In particular, the males, to express themselves, to be encouraged to speak out, rather than to demonstrate their frustration by, in fact, making women and children victims,” Ntuli said. 

He said other major contributors to GBVF are drugs and alcohol. 

“We are quite confident that the campaigns the police have to try and dismantle all the drug sources in a way will contribute to making drugs not so much available to the users, who ultimately behave in a manner that results in the high stats of GBV.” 

Ntuli added that statistics tend to peak during the festive season. 

Acting Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection in KwaZulu-Natal, Major General Anthony Gopaul, said Premier Ntuli “hit it on the head when he talks about the behavioural issue, when he talks about the abuse of alcohol, those are the critical factors that we see that play a role in the increase in GBV cases”.

Emphasising Ntuli’s point about community engagements, Gopaul said: “SAPS in the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal over the past week, we have done 41 such engagements. Reaching out to the communities because we believe that we have to reach out to those communities. We reach out to schools, and we are particularly concerned as we approach this particular festive season.” 

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