Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi, says the government will not surrender the province to criminals who continue to terrorise communities at will.
She was speaking at the South African Legislative Sector (Sals) Forum summit in Ballito on Tuesday.
The forum is a gathering of lawmakers and activists at the forefront of the fight against gender based violence and femicide (GBVF). The summit aims to assess the progress made by lawmakers in fighting GBVF in the country over the years.
The Cogta MEC conceded that KZN continued to record grim statistics regarding GBVF.
“According to the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal figures in the period April-June 2022 out of 201 murders recorded, 53% were female; 71% of the total assault GBH cases were inflicted upon women and girls; 641 women and 32 men/and boys were raped during this period; there were 124 sexual assault cases, 97% of which were committed on women,” she told the gathering.
In addition to this, said the MEC, KZN recorded the highest number of rapes. with 1462 (25%) of the total of 5877 across all provinces.
The stats also showed that 64% of all rapes occurred in victims’ homes.
She said despite the grim numbers, the government would not submit to criminals.
“We refuse to surrender our province to criminals of any sort, and we will do everything to reverse the scourge of GBVF,” she said, stressing that the state had a responsibility to protect and prosecute those responsible for the crimes.
The summit, which will conclude on August 3, seeks to establish a long-term vision and clear role for Sals in the gender transformation landscape.
It is hoped that the report and recommendations from the summit will contribute significantly to the 30-Year Report on Gender Transformation and Mainstreaming in the SA Legislative Sector.