Housing audit needed to address access, accountability
by Melinda Hattingh MPL – MPL
Date: 24 August 2017
Release: Immediate
Type: Speech
Vandag bring die Demokratiese Alliansie ‘n huldeblyk aan die vroue wat op 9 Augustus 1956 na die Uniegeboue opgeruk het. Daardié optog was ‘n reuse-sukses en het sy essensiële doelwit, naamlik die reg van vroue ten opsigte van politieke deelname, bereik.
Dit is nou 61 jaar later en dit is inderdaad so dat daar in die algemeen ‘n merkbare verbetering in die lewensomstandighede van die meerderheid vroue is.
Maar, terselfdertyd is veral die ekonomiese en sosiale mag van baie vroue, veral in ons provinsie, steeds beperk.
Agbare Speaker, ‘n studie het bewys dat dit meestal vroue is wat staatstoelaes ontvang. Dit beteken dat die meerderheid mense wat werkloos en in armoede gedompel is, vroue is.
Navorsing bewys verder dat daar baie meer vroue is wat deur MIV en Vigs geaffekteer word as mans. En dit is ook meestal vroue wat as gevolg van die land se hoё vlakke van geweld onderdruk word.
Daarom moet ons vra of ons regtig ernstig is as dit kom by die oplossing van probleme wat Suid-Afrikaanse vroue vandag, in die gesig staar?
In Suid-Afrika word ‘n vrou elke twee (2) minute seksueel aangerand en elke ses ure word ‘n vrou vermoor.
Femicide in South Africa is five times higher than the global average, a statistic which comes on the back of South Africa being named as the rape capital of the world by Interpol. This should shock us all, but it barely registers as much as a flinch because we have become accustomed to violence in all its various forms.
Our society continues to fail women, partly because of the police’s inability to effectively implement the Domestic Violence and the Sexual Offences Acts. These pieces of legislation are meant to protect women from abuse and violence.
Strangely, only a small percentage of police stations in the country are fully compliant with these Acts. Police lack adequate training to effectively deal with domestic violence and sexual offences, a trend which has seen only a handful of such cases being finalized in our courts.
This is the debate that we must engage in if we truly want to be a legislature that takes women’s rights seriously.
Agbare Speaker, seksuele geweld word baie keer nie gerapporteer nie omdat vroue verdere viktimisasie deur onopgeleide polisie lede vrees en omdat hulle nie vertroue het in die regstelsel nie.
Volgens statistieke word net 344 uit elke 1000 sake van verkragting en seksuele geweld gerapporteer terwyl die skuldigbevindings-vlak nog laer is, met net 6 uit ‘n 1000 sake wat suksesvol vervolg word.
Die ANC-geleide nasionale regering faal ons ma’s, dogters en susters.
Hon. Speaker, every day that we delay in dealing with this issue, more offenders will keep getting away with sexual and domestic violence. It is high time that we sent a strong message to those who abuse women, that the law will deal harshly with them should they be found guilty. We also need to empower women by making them aware of their constitutional and legal rights as this will equip them to protect themselves against abuse.
‘n DA-geleide nasionale regering sal die stelsel verander en die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens professionaliseer om ‘n veilige omgewing vir alle Suid-Afrikaners te skep.
This would in turn lay the groundwork for a successful justice system which enhances the rule of law and upholds and defends the rights of the vulnerable.
Ons vra dat die SAPD en die howe:
1. Veilige ruimtes skep vir slagoffers van seksuele aanranding en verkragting.
2. Die polisie oplei om slagoffers met empatie te behandel.
3. Meer spesialis-polisie in diens neem om sake van seksuele geweld te hanteer.
4. Die kapasiteit verhoog van howe wat seksuele aanranding hanteer.
This, we believe, is the path to creating a safe and secure environment for all South Africans, particularly women.
We must also acknowledge and applaud women and men who take a stand against abuse and who work hard in our communities to combat the scourge of violence against women and children.
Ongelukkig is dit egter ook so dat, al doen ons al die bogenoemde, dit nie noodwendig tot die sosiale en ekonomiese bemagtiging van alle vroue sal lei nie.
Ons moet dus ook altyd onthou dat gesonde, funksionerende families die sleutel is tot gesonde, funksionerende gemeenskappe. As provinsiale regering is daar nog baie wat ons kan doen om individuele vroue en ma’s te ondersteun ten einde die feesvieringe rondom hierdie maand ‘n realiteit vir meer vroue in die Noord-Kaap te maak.
Met dié slot gedagte laat my toe om ‘n wenbrief van ‘n hartgebroke ma aan u voor te lees. Hierdie vrou het in Maart vanjaar haar brief aan ‘n redaktrise van ‘n tydskrifgroep gerig, en sy skryf as volg:
“I once had a daughter the same age as yours, but I never knew her. While I took care of your girl, mine was neglected. While I combed her hair each morning getting her ready for school, mine went to school unkempt. While I cooked for your daughter mine went to bed on an empty stomach, for there was no one to cook for her.
While yours was scared of the bogeyman I held her, comforted her and wiped her tears away – mine was abused and neglected. When yours turned 18 we sent her to varsity while mine gave birth to her firstborn. When your girl walked down the aisle mine took her last breath, because Aids was her ultimate call.
As I journey home for my daughter’s funeral I fear what lies ahead, for I’m now a stranger in my own home. While I labored for you all these years I lost my identity, my home, my everything.”
Media Enquiries
Melinda Hattingh MPL
MPL
082 494 6648
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