The Women Action Group in
Hermanus have used Youth Day celebrations and the long weekend as an
opportunity to raise awareness of violence against women and children in the
Overstrand and mobilise all communities to stand firm against gender-based
violence (GBV) and sexual harassment.
“We all need to look at
ourselves and say Enough is Enough,” said the Overstrand Executive Mayor, Dr Annelie Rabie.
Rabie, together with the Deputy Mayor, Lindile Ntsabo, members of Hermanus Police and Overstrand
Association for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) joined the community as they
walked from the Zwelihle Taxi rank to the Zwelihle Sport Station, where they
were met by Overberg District Municipality’s Deputy Mayor Archie Klaas for a
community dialogue on the matter.
Overstrand’s fire fighters,
traffic services, law enforcement officers, Task Team and K9-unit as well as
Disaster Management also joined the march to show their support. The programme included singing,
dancing, testimonies by survivors of abuse and speakers to educate as many
people as possible and get them involved in programmes to fight GBV. The individual lighting of
candles to celebrate survivors of gender-based violence and to think about
those who have lost their lives and the abuse they received, was very touching.
Mayor Rabie asked residents to
accept one another and to show tolerance irrespective of who you are. “To just say enough is enough,
is not enough. Let’s start at home”. She strongly advised parents who have
children who prefer to have relationship with the same sex, to accept them.
She committed herself to
setting up a meeting with the Magistrate’s Court and other role players to
discuss how to give victims the maximum protection from domestic abuse: “We do
not want rapist in our communities: they must go.”
The Mayor encouraged residents
and all organisasions involved to come up with a plan of how the Municipality
can help communities to create safe spaces, especially safe houses. She thanked the Women Action
Group for all the help and guidance they give and for helping to build an
Overstrand for All.