TACKLING THE DUAL CRISIS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

Precious Mupenzi

• Alcohol abuse in South Africa plays a significant role in increasing rates of intimate partner violence and non-natural deaths, with femicide rates rising sharply when alcohol is readily available, according to Dr Nechama Brodie’s findings.
• Dr Brodie’s research highlighted the misconception that alcohol-related violence is confined to lower-income groups, showing that middle-class men also perpetrate domestic violence, often using more expensive alcohol.
• Despite progressive laws aimed at protecting women, Dr Brodie stressed that the justice system remains ineffective, with many women still being murdered even with protection orders in place, calling for urgent, actionable solutions to combat the intertwined crises of alcohol misuse and violence against women.

Amid growing concerns over alcohol misuse in South Africa, Dr Nechama Brodie’s presentation at the 4th Shelter Indaba in Sandton highlighted the significant impact of alcohol on intimate partner violence and non-natural deaths. Dr Nechama Brodie is a journalist, researcher, and lecturer at the Wits Centre for Journalism. Recent research revealed alcohol as the most misused legal drug in the country, a point echoed by Minister of Social Development, Ms Sisisi Tolashe, during the World No Alcohol Day commemoration in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg. She stressed that “waging war against alcohol abuse cannot be government’s role alone,” calling for collective action. Dr Brodie’s findings align with this appeal, underlining the complex links between alcohol consumption and rising rates of violence against women, reinforcing the need for a collaborative response to this pressing issue.

Dr Brodie placed significant emphasis on alcohol as a key driver of domestic killings and other non-natural deaths, revealing a troubling relationship between substance abuse and violence. “Alcohol plays a substantial role in increasing non-natural deaths in South Africa,” she noted, referencing data from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). She highlighted the stark correlation between alcohol availability and femicide rates, citing a sharp decline in intimate partner murders during the COVID-19 lockdowns when alcohol sales were prohibited. “During those weeks, we saw femicide numbers decline almost by half. However, as soon as restrictions were lifted and alcohol sales resumed, those numbers began to rise again,” she explained.

For the past decade, Dr Brodie’s academic work focused on investigating fatal violence, particularly the killing of women. Her last three books have each explored different types of murders: one on femicide, another on farm killings, and her most recent work, Domestic Terror, on intimate partner murders.

“I called this book Domestic Terror because, based on current police figures, every day in South Africa an average of five to six women are murdered by a current or former intimate partner. In these cases, the fatal act is rarely the first instance of violence; it’s simply the last.”

Dr Brodie’s research also challenged prevailing assumptions about alcohol-related violence. She asserted, “It’s often portrayed that alcohol issues only affect lower-income groups, but the reality is that middle-class men also perpetrate violence, often with more expensive alcohol.” This double standard reflects society’s reluctance to acknowledge the widespread nature of the problem fully.

Additionally, Dr Brodie raised critical concerns about the justice system’s effectiveness in protecting women. “There’s no clear data indicating that protection orders effectively safeguard women from their abusers. Many women are still murdered even with these orders in place,” she remarked, pointing to a lack of transparency in reporting by the Justice Department as a complicating factor.

Concluding her presentation, Dr Brodie called for a fundamental shift in societal attitudes and responses to femicide and alcohol-related violence. “We need to stop portraying intimate partner killings as isolated incidents committed by unknown strangers. It’s crucial to acknowledge the reality that most women are killed by someone they know,” she urged. Her insights serve as a clarion call to policymakers, communities, and individuals to take meaningful action against gender-based violence, emphasising the importance of addressing the systemic issues at play.

“We have the knowledge to effect change, but it is time to translate that knowledge into measurable actions,” Dr Brodie reminded participants, stressing that addressing these issues requires collective effort and accountability. Her presentation illuminated the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to tackling the dual crises of alcohol abuse and violence against women in South Africa.