Deputy President Paul Mashatile wants tough sentences against perpetrators of gender-based violence. Picture: Phando Jikelo/Independent Newspapers
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reiterated his call for courts to get tough on criminals and perpetrators of gender-based violence.
Mashatile, who was in the Eastern Cape campaigning for the ANC this weekend, said the courts must hand severe sentences to people convicted of rape and murder of women and children.
Police crime statistics have shown that over the last few years that the murder of women and children has increased.
Cases of sexual violence have also gone up.
Mashatile said the criminal justice system must show no mercy to perpetrators of GBV.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law three GBV bills to strengthen the fight against the killing of women and children.
Mashatile said the scourge of gender-based violence must be fought on all fronts.
“The perpetrators of GBV and femicide must be punished We know that magistrates and judges can impose severe sentences. We want the criminal justice system to be tough to these perpetrators so that we can end the scourge,” said Mashatile.
He called on communities to stand with victims of gender-based violence.
“Everywhere in the country we want people to be involved in this campaign. We are also calling men to stand up and be counted because in many of our families and communities men are the perpetrators of this violence. It’s an important focus to ensure that we end the scourge. When communities stand up against violence against women and children as government we will be there,“ said Mashatile.
Later on Mashatile addressed ward 14 where he called on the community to raise their concerns with councillors and MMCs. He said councillors and activists must tell government about problems faced by communities.
The ANC has in the past two weeks deployed its top officials across the country ahead of the elections.
Ramaphosa has not yet declared the date for elections. But parties have started to campaign.
On Monday the Constitutional Court will deliver judgment on the application by independent candidates and Mmusi Maimane on the threshold for candidates to get a seat in Parliament and provincial legislatures.
This flows from the Electoral Amendment Act, which was signed into law in April by Ramaphosa that independent candidates can contest for seats in parliament and provinces.
This was after the New Nation Movement had successfully challenged the eligibility of independent candidates to stand as MPs and MPLs.
The Constitutional Court ruled in 2020 that the law must be amended to allow independent candidates to stand in national and provincial elections.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics