FIGHTING GBVF: SHARING STORIES OF LOSS, OF FEAR, AND A DEEP DESIRE FOR CHANGE

By Nonhlakanipho Masola

• The people of Polokwane, Limpopo, have gathered together to have hard and heartfelt conversations on how gender-based violence and femicide touch their lives and their neighbourhoods.
• They took part in a dialogue run by the Department of Social Development under the theme “Letsema: Men, women, boys and girls working together to end gender-based violence and femicide”.
• As residents reflected on their daily realities, one message rang clear: survivors need support that is quick, accessible and compassionate.

Polokwane residents came together today with a shared hope – to create safer homes, safer streets and safer futures for their loved ones.

In a room filled with survivors of gender-based violence, along with parents, elders, young people and community leaders, the air was thick with honesty, pain, courage and determination.

The community dialogue was initiated by the Department of Social Development under the theme “Letsema: Men, women, boys and girls working together to end gender-based violence and femicide” to provide a platform to reflect on the impact of gender-based violence and femicide, to provide solidarity, and to find ways to take action.

People spoke openly about how gender-based violence and femicide have touched their lives and their neighbourhoods. Some shared stories of loss, others spoke of fear, and many expressed a deep desire for change.

There was a strong focus on the voices often pushed to the margins, older women and women with disabilities, whose experiences are frequently overlooked.

As residents reflected on their daily realities, one message rang clear: survivors need support that is quick, accessible and compassionate.

People spoke of long distances to service points, delays when asking for help, and the emotional toll of feeling unheard.

But alongside the frustration came practical ideas, offered with hope; ideas to strengthen local networks, improve accountability, and make support easier to reach.

Among those who spoke was Venonia Maseremule from Ga-Ramogwana village on the outskirts of Polokwane, a manager at South African Blind Women in Action (SABIA).

Maseremule’s heartfelt words carried the weight of someone who has seen too much pain and still believes in change.

She thanked the Department of Social Development, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and other partners for coming together, but also pushed for action: “We are grateful for the collaboration, but we need seriousness. The cases we deal with are heartbreaking. We need SAPS to respond quickly. These issues cannot wait.”

Maseremule shared a painful story of a child who was molested by her mother’s partner, and how the mother refused help, insisting it was a “family matter”.

She shared how situations like this break her, especially when victims finally speak up, only for their own families to silence them. “Sometimes the family fails the victim. Instead of going to the police, they call a family meeting. We need SAPS to intervene, because victims are suffering in silence.”

Throughout the session, civil society groups, SAPS representatives and government departments listened closely, not just hearing the words, but taking in the emotion behind them. These conversations were not just a formal dialogue; they were moments of truth, vulnerability and community healing.

What stood out was the unity in the room. Men spoke about wanting to raise sons who do better. Young women demanded to feel safe walking to school or work. Elders urged the community to return to values of compassion, dignity and respect.

In every story, every concern, and every idea shared, one thread connected everyone: a shared determination to end gender-based violence and femicide together.

Because when a community stands as one, healing becomes possible – and safety becomes something we build with our own hands, our own voices and our own courage.