In a rare show of unity Philippi organisations responsible for community safety came together to talk accountability in an area with extremely high levels of gender-based violence and femicide.
Held by Accountability Lab in partnership with Activate! Change Drivers, the discussion was an opportunity for the responsibility of different roleplayers such as street committees, the community policing forum, the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), and the South African Police Services (SAPS), to be unpacked.
The discussion – part of the Accountabili’tea’s series, where communities come together to seek solutions to challenges in their area – was facilitated by activist and Philippi Community Action Network (CAN) member Chwayita Wenana. She emphasised that the discussion was not a forum for blame to be laid against any one party but a solutions-oriented conversation to ensure a plan to tackle the scourge going forward.
Captain Dulungane, the treasurer of the CPF of Sector 8A, said the responsibility for community safety was a joint one between policing/safety organisations and citizens. “It starts with the behaviour. If you fix a person’s behaviour, you start to have a positive impact on society by creating a safer environment for everyone.”
He went on to say, however, that the police as a structure are accountable as they are mandated by the Constitution to serve and protect the community.
Even when perpetrators of GBV are found guilty and sent to prison they are too easily able to achieve parole on good behaviour and return to retraumatise survivors. Community members also highlighted the danger of harbouring criminals as most perpetrators are known not only to the survivors but people at large.
The justice system, while not as much in the control of individual people, should also be looked at and accountability is required for the way in which perpetrators are allowed to get away with crimes.
Apart from institutional responsibility, members also cited culture, tradition, patriarchy and religion as structure which provide areas with already high levels of gender based violence a fertile ground to root and become acceptable.
Culture and tradition expects a girl child and women to behave in a submissive way that does not recognise agency and ability to be responsible in the way boy children are. Religiously, women are not meant to lead – such as being the head of a household – but rather to listen to what the men have to say.
The violence meted out against the LBGTIQ community is also largely influenced by religion,culture and tradition.
Attendees emphasised the importance of raising children to reject ideas of traditional gender roles as a way to combat GBVF. With the education of children, the community would be able to at least reduce the social reasons to reduce the levels and severity of violence. They also concluded that parents should teach children that it’s okay to speak about traditionally uncomfortable topics so they are able to approach a trusted adult with fears or situations they feel uncomfortable in.
Community members concluded that by educating children about their rights, and closing loopholes in the justice system that allow perpetrators to return to their communities, Philippi could be a much safer place.