North West premier, Job Mokgoro, says he has noted with concern the increasing number of such cases. Without revealing the number of cases captured by the Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday, Mokgoro says perpetrators of GBV must be brought to book.

Since the start of the national lockdown, due to the coronavirus, OFM News reported on several murders of women in the province, which include the murders of the police officer, Martha Bouwer, and a young teacher, Khumontle Mokgosi, who were both found murdered in two separate incidents.

Mokgoro has further encouraged victims of GBV to use the resources availed by the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to report such cases.

Cele released crime statistics on Friday where he stated that sexual crimes have increased. This comes at a time when the scourge of killing of women and children in the country regained traction during the lockdown.  

Just before Cele announced national crime statistics, he stated that police stations across the country received thousands of calls relating to GBV.  This also forced President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to reprioritise millions of rands towards the fight against violence towards women and children in the country. The government's efforts include working with civil society movements, many of which are non-profit organisations (NPO), and the training of police officers.

 

OFM News