DO NOT JUDGE LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITY – NORTH WEST MEC DANTJIE

By Dudu Mpa

•  The North West MEC for Social Development, Basetsana Sussana Dantjie, has embarked on a series of roadshows across the province to raise awareness, confront social stigmas and offer support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV).
• The MEC urged women to make use of the services of the Department of Social Development’s social workers to get out of abusive relationships. There is accommodation and counselling available to victims of GBV, according to Dantjie.
• At a meeting in Myra village in the Greater Taung Local Municipality, the MEC pointed out that abuse and discrimination against members of the LGBTIQ+ community was also considered GBV.

In her efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), the North West MEC for Social Development Basetsana Sussana Dantjie embarked on a roadshow to Myra village in the Greater Taung Local Municipality to raise awareness, confront social stigmas, and offer support to survivors of GBV.

Dantjie encouraged the community, who filled the local town hall on 9 December 2024, to stop abusing and discriminating against the LGBTIQ+ community because of their sexual orientation, as that too is considered GBV.

“Since Covid-19, GBV has risen and became a second pandemic,” said Dantjie. “Let us not judge our LGBTIQ+ community, let us accept and love them because they are our children and deserve to be cared for.”

She pleaded with women to stop using their children as an excuse to stay in abusive relationships and emphasised that a loving mother would not allow her children to witness her abuse as it is also emotionally damaging to the children.

“Use the services of our social workers to get out of that abusive relationship,” she urged. “There are safe houses that our government has built to accommodate and give counselling to victims of gender-based violence.”

During the roadshow, Dantjie introduced her new flagship programme Re Thuse Re go Thuse that encourages community members to report their challenges to the department in order to get help faster.

Dantjie used the Re Thuse Re go Thuse programme to distribute 100 food parcels to families facing undue hardships. She noted that food parcels do not end poverty but are a way of helping prevent people from going to bed hungry.

Dantjie will be taking the GBV roadshows and the Re Thuse Re go Thuse programme to more communities to conscientise them about the effects of GBV and to provide social relief to poverty-stricken households in the form of food hampers ahead of Christmas Day.

Issued by North West Department of Social Development

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Contact the departmental spokesperson, Petrus Siko
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