Programme Director
Honourable MEC Blennies
Councilors present
Heads of Department
Officials from respective Departments present
Members of the Community
Ladies and gentlemen
Halala Halala Greenpoint Halala
Roar young lions roar!!!!
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
You know when I uttered the words- roar young lions roar- it brings about a certain feeling of pride, a feeling accomplishment and a feeling of self-worth. When we uttered these words then we could relate to them and we owned it. I don’t even know whether you know what it means and what it is supposed to instill in you.
Ons is vandag hier in Greenpoint om spesifiek met die jong mense van die area te praat en so ook met die groter mense wat verantwoordelik is vir die jong mense en hul pligte moet volstaan en leiding en leierskap te vertoon.
Op Vryday 16 June sal ons weer soos ons elke jaar jeugdag vier. Dis n dag om hulde te bring aan die veg gees en die dapper stryd wat jong mense gelei het teen n onregverdige en ongelyke onderwysstelsel.
MEC Blennies sal op hierdie dag die rede vir die dag verduidelik en waarom dit belangrik is dat die Regering dit nodig gesien het om jongmense te vereer en te waardeer.
But just to give you a snippet into why we feel this day is to be celebrated and for you to try and grasp the importance of the events that took place on that fateful day. On the morning of 16 June 1976, thousands of black students from Soweto in the then Transvaal, now Gauteng, went on a protest rally from their schools to Orlando Stadium.
While black students were already getting conscientised by student organisations and the Black Consciousness Movement when the Bantu Education Act (1953) was instituted, they mobilised for a protest against an official order that made Afrikaans - along side English only - as the medium of instruction compulsory in black township schools throughout the country. The use of African languages was prohibited in these schools and the Constitution supported Afrikaans and English to be made the official languages of the country.
The rally was a peaceful protest intended to urge the government not to make Afrikaans compulsory in schools.
But when armed police were called in to disperse the crowds with dogs, teargas and bullets, they opened fire on the students. The protest turned into an uprising by students against the apartheid government, but hundreds of students were killed by police. And so the 1976 student uprising, as it was called, was born.
The events of the day highlight a few individuals who took part in the protest. Among the first children killed was 15-year-old Hastings Ndlovu, and 12-year-old Hector Pieterson. We also remember Tsietsi Mashinini, who lead the students in protest.
N vyftien jarige en twaalfjarige kinders het op daardie dag hul lewens verloor met soveel ander. Laat dit ‘n oomblik insink. Twaalf en vyftien jaar wat opgestaan het en baklei het vir die reg om onderrig in hul moedertaal te ontvang. Dit is die young lions van wie ons praat waneer ons met passie se roar young lions roar!!!!!
So June 16 or youth day is a celebration of the spirit of young people and a day set aside to celebrate the achievements of your peers. It is definitely not a day to see how drunk and disorderly you can get.
Ons moet ook baie eerlik wees en veral in Greenpoint waar die sosiale probleme so erg is dat die hele regering moet ingryp. Ons word elke dag daarvan beskuldig dat die regering nie genoeg doen vir julle. Dat die regering korrup is. Dat die regering julle vergeet het. En ja ons stem saam dat ons meer behoort te doen. En ons is verbind daaraan om meer te doen. Dit is ten spyte van wat daar reeds in plek is.
Ons moet ook eerlik wees.- julle as jong mense wat net vinger kan wys. Julle moet ook kan eerlik wees met julleself en vra hoekom is julle waar julle is.
You need to do serious introspection and ask but why do your peers in other impoverished communities rise above their circumstances and become productive and exemplary members of society. Those that can truly rise when we shout roar young lions roar!!
It comes down to one simple thing. One act and one decision- and that is to rise above their adversity and to not become the status quo most of you came to find, accepted and continued.
As we drove in here this today, we were greeted by many young people gathering aimlessly and drinking, smoking and gambling on street corners, at tuchshops and shebeens. And you think this is normal? That this is who you are and should be and what should define you as young people and the supposed leaders of tomorrow?
You have abandoned the believe that you are more than just slaves to addiction and hopelessness. You have allowed drug dealers to take away the spirit and fight that the young people of 1076 displayed. You allowed yourselves to be victims of your circumstances- and more likely circumstances you yourself has created.
Ons het vandag gekom on nie net weer na julle klagtes te luister nie. Ons ken dit want oral waar ons gaan om ‘n verskil te wil maak kry ons weerstand en verskonings.
Die Regering spandeer miljoene rand net hier in Greenpoint elke maand op verskillende toelaes. Ons het die SRD of die R350 soos julle dit noem. One betaal ongeskikheids toelae of disability grants en van julle vat die word letterlik op- ongeskikheid- wat ook onbeskof en rou in Afrikaans beteken. Want as dai toelaag betaal is julle die rouste en ongeskikste.
Ons betaal ook kinder toelae by die honderde aan jongmense wat op skoolbanke en kolleges of universiteite moes sit en hul onvoeding eerste gestel het.
And what do you do with these grants? The children for whose benefit these grants are paid are severely neglected, the older persons grants are stolen and abused, the SRD grant is misused. As soon as the grant pays all morals goes and the only people who benefit are the drug dealers, loan sharks and shebeens.
This government has made Education free. With that we have made so much advances in the field of technology that it is so easy to become the best versions of yourselves instead of what you currently are. The youth of today have so much more opportunities than of the youth of then and sadly you still stand begging for that which you can earn.
Families are the basic unit of every community and society. Government implements programmes that provide support to families such as health care, education, housing, social grants, income generating activities such as public works programmes and many others. At the same time, families face several challenges such as the impact of poverty and unemployment, drugs and substance abuse, crime, domestic violence and violence against women and children. These are all issues you know of and some of you are guilty of.
Ladies and gentlemen, the first step to becoming a "Better World Family" is to decide to become one. It will be an ongoing learning experience with lots of mistakes. You'll need all of the tools you've learned as peace builders. You might decide to set a regular time to discuss and work out family problems and issues. You'll want to make sure that you show your concern and encouragement for each other, regularly. You'll need to let things go and apologize and accept apologies and make amends when apologies aren't enough. You're a team and you want to work it out. You may decide to work together on projects for a better world as a way to strengthen your dedication.
Soos Deuteronomium 6:7 toon, is daar baie geleenthede wanneer julle as ouers geestelike sake met julle kinders kan bespreek. Of julle nou saam reis, saam takies verrig of saam ontspan, julle sal waarskynlik geleenthede vind om in julle kinders se geestelike behoeftes te voorsien. Julle hoef natuurlik nie gedurig vir julle kinders oor Bybelwaarhede te preek nie. Probeer liewer om gesinsgesprekke op ’n opbouende, geestelike vlak te hou. Sulke gesprekke sal kinders dalk beweeg om meer van die lektuur te lees wat “die getroue en verstandige slaaf”-klas voorsien.
Ek wil ook aan die jongmense herinder dat die Bybel sê eer jou vader en jou moeder sodat jou dae verleng mag word. Jongmense het mos vandag die ouers in die huis geword en beheer en misbruik die ouers se toelae. Dit is verkeerd.
Ons hoop is op julle- die leiers van more- om vir ons en jul gemeenskappe ‘n beter toekoms te bring. Daarom gaan ons as die Departement van Maatskaplike dienste uit ons pad om U te voorsien van dienste wat tot voordeel van julle toekoms en ontwikkeling sal wees.
As julle hulp nodig het, praat met ons maatskaplike werkers. En ek wil julle aanmoedig om gefokus te bly op julle toekoms en die welstand van julle ouers, broers, susters en die hele gemeenskap.
In conclusion, boys and girls, if a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.
A home with a loving and loyal husband and wife is the supreme setting in which children can be reared in love and righteousness and in which the spiritual and physical needs of children can be met.
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
Thank you.
Programme Director
Councilors present
Partners and Stakeholders in the Victim Empowerment Environment
Colleagues;
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my distinct pleasure to address those who we have convened tonight to pay tribute and relay our gratitude for the sterling work they have been doing in our fight against the horrible practice of gender-based violence. At the same time, it is my displeasure to be standing here tonight to still be speaking on an issue that should have been buried with no postmortem necessary.
I want to, before I continue submit to you our distinguished guests and officials, the apology of MEC Vilakazi, who sincerely wanted to personally express her gratitude to you and also just to relay a word of encouragement to you. As you know this event has been postponed many times due to a hectic calendar of MEC. However MEC indicated that we cannot again postpone and that I please relay her apology and that we continue.
I stand here with the memory of a five-year-old child in Kenhardt whose mortal remains were found last year. As recent as a few days a woman was brutally killed in Delportshoop. I stand here with a pain shared by parents who have to bury their children, and children who grow up orphans as a result of deadly violence inflicted by one or more perpetrators on another.
I stand here alive to the reality that there are women- mothers- who inflict the most horrible acts of violence and great injustice to their own daughters. We have cases of mothers selling their children to grown men for as little as a few rands. The trauma inflicted on those children is irreparable. We will never be able to put them back together completely.
And the sad reality is that it has become so normal in society that it does not even shake us. It is amazing that the Thabo Bester case can grab the headlines and can stimulate such debate and analysis, yet the loss of life of children at the hands of predators is business as usual. I suppose if one analyze the case of Bester and the Doctor, one would come to the conclusion that while she is or might be a perpetrator of crime, that she too just might be a victim of abuse and possible violence.
Ladies and gentlemen, I do noy have to read to you the statistics on the cases of violence, abuse and death that we know and hear of. It is a night for not really celebration, but more so for acknowledging the important role you all play in our fight against the shame South Africa is known for. Rape, murder, human trafficking, violence, drugs, alcohol abuse and general lawlessness places us right at the top of world countries with the highest incidences of these.
Ladies and gentlemen, every women, child and girl has the right to walk the streets safely and without fear. No man, no matter who he is or his standing in society has the right over the body of a woman or child. Similarly, so they have no claim to the innocence of young boys and insecure and vulnerable men. No matter what she is wearing, no matter where is she, no man has a right to go beyond the word “NO”. And we have to stop blaming the victims for these crimes.
There are many different forms of violence. All these types of violence can be – and almost always are – gendered in nature, because of how gendered power inequalities are entrenched in our society.
GBV can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial or structural, and can be perpetrated by intimate partners, acquaintances, strangers and institutions. Most acts of interpersonal gender-based violence are committed by men against women, and the man perpetrating the violence is often known by the woman, such as a partner or family member [3].
Violence against women and girls (VAWG)
GBV is disproportionately directed against women and girls [4]. For this reason, you may find that some definitions use GBV and VAWG interchangeably, and in this article, we focus mainly on VAWG.
Violence against LGBTI people
However, it is possible for people of all genders to be subject to GBV. For example, GBV is often experienced by people who are seen as not conforming to their assigned gender roles, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex people.
Gender Based Violence and Femicide and violence meted out against the LGBTQIA+ community has the potential to destroy our societies. We must therefore all strive to change negative social norms and gender stereotypes must be challenged at all times.
On an individual level, GBV leads to psychological trauma, and can have psychological, behavioural and physical consequences for survivors. In many parts of the country, there is poor access to formal psychosocial or even medical support, which means that many survivors are unable to access the help they need. Families and loved ones of survivors can also experience indirect trauma, and many do not know how to provide effective support.
Specialists outline the following impacts of GBV and violence for South Africa as a society-
South African health care facilities – an estimated 1.75 million people annually seek health care for injuries resulting from violence
HIV – an estimated 16% of all HIV infections in women could be prevented if women did not experience domestic violence from their partners. Men who have been raped have a long term increased risk of acquiring HIV and are at risk of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide.
Reproductive health - women who have been raped are at risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Mental health - over a third of women who have been raped develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which if untreated persists in the long term and depression, suicidality and substance abuse are common. Men who have been raped are at risk of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide.
Violence also has significant economic consequences. The high rate of GBV places a heavy burden on the health and criminal justice systems, as well as rendering many survivors unable to work or otherwise move freely in society.
So what do we do?
South Africa is a signatory to a number of international treaties on GBV, and strong legislative framework, for example the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) (1998), the Sexual Offences Act (2007) and the Prevention and Combatting of Trafficking in Human Persons (2013) Act” [22].
Response services aim to support and help survivors of violence in a variety of ways. Prevention initiatives look at how GBV can be prevented from happening.
Whilst international treaties and legislation is important it is not enough to end GBV and strengthen responses.
Addressing GBV is a complex issue requiring multi-faceted responses and commitment from all stakeholders, including government, civil society and other citizens. There is growing recognition in South Africa of the magnitude and impact of GBV and of the need to strengthen the response across sectors.
And that is why we are here tonight. To not only thank our partners and volunteers, but also to appeal for greater cooperation and commitment from all stakeholders and partners.
Ladies and gentlemen, the question therefore remains as to what therefore is the ideal response and what works
Broadly speaking, approaches to addressing GBV can be divided into response and prevention. Response services aim to support and help survivors of violence in a variety of ways (for instance medical help, psychosocial support, and shelter). Prevention initiatives look at how GBV can be prevented from happening. Response services can in turn contribute towards preventing violence from occurring or reoccurring.
Responses are important. Major strides are being made internationally on how to best respond and provide services for survivors of violence. The World Health Organization guidelines describe an appropriate health sector response to Violence Against Women – including providing post-rape care and training health professionals to provide these services.
WHO does not recommend routine case identification (or screening) in health services for VAW exposure, but stresses the importance of mental health services for victims of trauma.
Much of our effort in South Africa has been focused on response. However – our response efforts need to be supported and complemented by prevention programming and policy development. By addressing the underlying, interlinked causes of GBV, we can work towards preventing it from happening in the first place.
The economic empowerment of women remains a key priority of government, as it is considered a central tenet to ensuring a more equal society for all. Economic empowerment is one of the most powerful routes for women to achieve their potential and advance their rights. It promotes women's ability to reduce household poverty, hunger and food insecurity, as well as reducing the heightened levels of inequalities they face on a daily basis.
The fight against Gender Based Violence and femicide is one of the key priorities of Government and receives the necessary attention at the highest level to make meaningful impact on our efforts to fight this menace and shame to our country.
The Northern Cape Province held a two-day GBVF Summit on the 28 and 29 September 2022. The summit was a build up to the Presidential summit 2 that was convened on the 1 and 2 November 2022 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand under the “Theme: Accountability, Acceleration and Amplification Now!
As government we remain committed to strengthen partnerships and collaboration with NGOs, community-based organizations, civil society, community leaders and faith-based organizations in ensuring the best interests of women and children and in making everyday a safe and violence-free day.
Tonight is especially set out as I said for you. It is to say thank you and also to invite you to speak up. Many here gathered here tasked with fighting this great injustice against the human race might be facing the very same treatment at home and in the community. GBV in all its forms does not discriminate against class, race and social standing. It is time we speak up and become part of the solution and not conceal it. It is only when you are whole and content can you heal others.
Let us all work together to realize our vision of creating a caring society together.
Please enjoy this evening with us and may God bless you and watch over you as you selflessly commit to help the most vulnerable in society.
Thank you