Program Director
Honorable Mayors and Councilors Present
Our Respected Traditional Leaders Present
Members of Civil Society
Media Present
Officials from all Government departments Present
Ladies and Gentlemen

Our Country is gripped in a crises that impacts on every member of society. Our Communities is gripped by fear and desperate for a solution to end violence against those most vulnerable. The killing of our children and women needs to stop and it needs to stop now. The purpose of this gathering is exactly that. It is a call to action. It’s a call for help. And it is a call to wake up and especially for men to stand together as we do today in our condemnation of violence inflicted on women and children. .
Before I continue I deem it important to mention to you a few horrific statistics that relate to abuse and violence against women and children to give you an idea of the magnitude of the problem we are dealing with. 
Earlier this year with the release of the crime stats, it was stated that the Province experienced an increase of 8.9 percent in Sexual Offences. From previous analysis done it is known that alcohol and drug abuse, jealousy amongst partners in a relationship or marriages and domestic violence related incidents are mostly the triggers for crimes of this nature to be committed.  In 86.4 percent of these cases the victim and the suspect were known to each other and only in 9.7 percent the suspect was unknown to the victim. In 64.7 percent the rape incidence occurred within dwellings and in 33.8 percent it occurred in public places.

I mention these statistics because I want to emphasize the fact that the solution lies with all of us. I want to encourage and urge society to acknowledge that violence against women and children is NOT a government or criminal justice system problem, but a societal problem, and that failure to view it as such results in all efforts failing to eradicate this scourge in our communities. We must ensure mass mobilization of all communities to promote collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children. 

Bomma le Borra jaaka ke setse ke buile ke re naga ya rona e mo mathateng ao a amang mongwe le mongwe mo sechabeng.  Sechaba sa rona se na letshabo ebile re batla seo se ka re thusang go fedisa dikgoka go bao ba sa kgoneng go iphemela. Dipolao tsa Bana ba rona le Basadi di tshwanetse go fela gone jaanong. Lebaka la kopano e ke go fedisa se. Ke kgoeletso ya go dira sengwe.  Ke kgoeletso ya go  thuso. Ebile ke kgoeletso ya gore re dire sengwe ebile re eme mmogo jaaka re dirile gompieno.

Ebile gape ke kgoeletso segolosegolo go Banna go ema ka dinao le go goeletsa gore E SENG MO LEINENG LAME MO Basadi le Banna BA TLA TLHEKEFEDIWANG MONNA KAMPO MOSIMANE. Se selebisitswe go Banna botlhe mo sechabeng jaaka batlamedi le basireletsi ba Basadi le Bana.

Ha ke bua batlamedi, ga ke bue ka Banna ba ba godileng bao ba tlamelang basetsana ka dilo tse di felang gore ba kgone go robalana le bone.  Se ke tlhekefetso e e feletseng ebile rona jaaka Puso le Banna bao ba kopaneng fano gompieno re ganetsana le se go tlhelele.

Bomma le Borra, a bao ba utlwisang ba bangwe botlhoko ba itse gore ba ka se bone tshireletso go tswa go Banna ba bangwe. A re tsweng fa gompieno re tseile maikano a gore re tlile go fedisa tlhekefetso go ba bangwe.  A re tsweng fa re itse gore re ka seletlelele se go diragala gape.  Le rona bao re tlhekefetsang ba bangwe a re tsweng fa re le batho bao ba fetogileng re nne Banna bao Modimo o re tlhodileng gonna bone.

A re tsweleleng go bua kgatlhanong le ditiragalo tse di maswe tse, re age bokamoso jo bo edileng.  A re tsweleleng gonna le mantswe a le mantsi ka puo e ereng "E seng mo leineng lame mmogo re tsweletsa Afrika Borwa e e senang dikgoka.

I must however mention that all is not doom and gloom. As the ANC led Government we have made tremendous strides in promoting the rights of women and children. This campaign also has the endorsement of our national Government, where we encourage men to be at the forefront in the fight against violence, abuse and femicide. Last we our Honorable Deputy President, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa led a dialogue with men and boys and the message there was clear as it is here today- men will no longer stand by and allow the abuse of our women and children.

It is very encouraging to note that more and more men are stepping to the fore and lending not only their support, but also their actions to the campaign. We have already eastablished Men’s Forums in Francis Baardt, Pixly ka Seme, ZF Mgcawu and Namaqua. This launch today is our final District Launch and on Friday we will Launch the Provincial Men’s Forum. The Provincial Launch was specifically decided upon in John Taolo Gaetsewe District because of the high incidences of abuse, rape, neglect and violence.

We therefore call upon the men of the District to become ambassadors for this campaign and to lead by example. I extend a warm welcome to all men to join these Forums and avail yourselves to serve on the management committee to be elected later. The objectives of this Forum will be communicated to you in detail by the organizers and administrators of the Men’s forum.

Ladies and gentlemen, let those who inflict violence on others will know they are being isolated and cannot count on other men to protect them. Let us today leave here committed and resolute to put an end to violence against one another. Let us leave here with a clear conscience that we cannot allow this to continue. And those of us who have made ourselves guilty of this hideous deeds, let us commit to change our ways and become the men God has intended us to be.

Let us continue to speak against this scourge and build on the successes of the last few years. Let us continue to have “many voices, one message that says, “Not in my name: Together moving a non-violent South Africa forward!”

Let us one and all embrace and adopt the spirit of Ubuntu and live in peace with one another. It is said that men of quality do not fear equality- so let us embrace women as not inferior, nor superior to us, but our equals deserving of our love, care and protection.

 

Thank you