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Thohoyandou's chief magistrate, Mr Azwihangwisi Ramavhale (left), responds to a memorandum handed over to him by the Seventh Day Adventist Church's Women's Ministry.

Women say enough is enough

 

Concerned about the ever-increasing attacks and abuse perpetrated against women and children, women under the umbrella of the Seventh Day Adventist Church Women's Ministry marched through the streets of Thohoyandou last Thursday.

They marched from the Thulamela municipal offices and through the streets of the town to the local Thohoyandou Magistrates’ Court, where they handed over a memorandum of their grievances. Recent crime statistics in the province have shown that Vhembe, and especially Thohoyandou, tops the list in terms of crimes committed.

The coordinator of the church's women's ministries in Vhembe, Ms Sarah Muthambi, said it had become a source of concern and it was disheartening to hear every day that a woman or child had been violated and abused by a man. "As a church, we cannot stand by and watch our women and children experience abuse, which comes in many forms. As believers in our Heavenly Father, we must become agents of change and help end the evils of abuse and gender-based violence, both in society and within the church itself.”

She added that as women they demanded that justice take its course regarding “perpetrators of all these evils, that they not be granted bail and that convicted abusers be given harsh sentences. We further demand that the Chief Magistrate make sure these cases are taken seriously. As a church, we detest in the strongest terms all forms of abuse to any human being, especially helpless women and children".

Thohoyandou’s chief magistrate, Mr Azwihangwisi Ramavhale, who brought along his whole team, assured the women that cases of abuse were taken very seriously. He urged them to make use of the courts, which he said were there to give them recourse and relief.

"Cases of abuse are a source of concern even to us. Our culture dictates that women should be respected, and what is happening today leaves us in a state of confusion and we are left with many questions as to what is happening to our menfolk," he said.

On the march. Members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church's Women's Ministry marched through the streets of Thohoyandou.

 

Date:14 October 2018

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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