“Report all the women and child abuse”

The residents of the Waterpoort area, local farmers, the Waterpoort police and some police officers from the Makhado clusters participated in different sporting codes as part of the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against the abuse of women and children on Saturday.

The event started with fun runs over 10km, 7km, 5km and a veteran's race. “I am very happy to have won,” said Farayi Makaka (41), who won the 10km race. “It feels good to participate in this event, where both parents and children stand against the abuse of women and children.”

The other notable stakeholders who attended the event included representatives from Munna ndi Nnyi, Vhembe Mobile clinic, Youth against Crime (from Makhado SAPS cluster) and the Department of Social Development.

Makhado SAPS cluster commander Brig Alex Seopa also addressed the people. “Another good way of highlighting issues of child and woman abuse is to speak with the women and children themselves on how they should act against any kind of abuse,” Seopa said.

He advised women and children to always make sure that they do not walk near the bushes or go into dark places on their own. “I further urge all victims of abuse to report all incidents to the police,” he said. “Even when the abuser is the sole breadwinner in your house, report them to the police because that person might end up killing you and your children, and that's what we hate to see as the police.”

Seopa reminded the people that the fight against crime is every citizen's responsibility. “Youths can be active for 24 hours. We must keep them busy, so that when they get to bed, they just fall asleep. Or else they will wake up in the night and go out to do naughty things which might get them into jail.”

Ms Patience Howe said that, as a woman who was always surrounded by her sisters' children, she needed to feel free to walk to the next farm or to the local shopping centre. “We don't want criminals to live among us; we will report them to the police,” she said.

The activities of the day included, among others, traditional dances, poetry recitals, singing and tug-of-war.

Date:29 November 2013

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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