HOFMEYR COMMUNITY CALLS FOR CONTINUED ACTION TO COMBAT GBVF AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL COHESION

By Cuma Pantshwa

• The small Karoo towns of Hofmeyr and Tarkastad are dealing with an alarming prevalence of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), community members told the Department of Social Development during a recent dialogue held in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality.
• The dialogue produced a number of solutions ranging from establishing support groups to providing more counselling services and from running educational programmes to raise awareness to including GBVF and substance abuse prevention in the school curricula.
• In response to the community dialogue, the Director: Community Development in the Department of Social Development Moosa Magubane noted that the insights gathered from the meeting “will inform strategies to intensify our efforts in the prevention of and fight against GBVF”.

Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) and substance abuse was the focus of a recent community dialogue held by the Department of Social Development in Ward 34 in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality in Hofmeyr, Eastern Cape.

The engagement was part of the national 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children that takes place annually from 25 November and 10 December.

Forty community members discussed the alarming prevalence of GBVF and substance abuse in the Karoo town of Tarkastad and surrounding areas, exploring the root causes of GBVF, examining its impact, and suggesting possible solutions.

The participants identified various elements linked to GBVF, including patriarchal norms, the high rate of unemployment, cultural practices, substance abuse, and limited educational drives.

They also emphasised the devastating impact of GBVF on women, children, and families, ranging from physical and emotional trauma to financial instability and broken relationships.

Substance abuse in Hofmeyer often stems from a family history, unemployment-related stress, and environmental factors such as easy access to alcohol, the community noted. The impact of the abuse includes poor academic performance among children, strained family dynamics, and increased crime rates.

Children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, as well as stigma and discrimination, the community noted.

Wide-ranging solutions

The dialogue produced a range of community-driven solutions, emphasising collaboration between residents, local institutions, and government entities. Participants emphasised the importance of community cohesion and engagement and proposed establishing support groups. They also requested more counselling services and educational programmes to raise awareness about GBVF and substance abuse.

The community also called on the Department of Education to incorporate GBVF and substance abuse prevention into the school curricula and called for organisations to create more educational media campaigns to engage men and boys in prevention efforts.

Other proposals included strengthening laws to address GBVF, increasing funding for prevention programmes, and establishing specialised courts to handle related cases. In addition, expanding access to support services such as shelters, counselling, and medical care for victims must be prioritised.

Deliberations around law enforcement took centre stage, with calls for stricter alcohol regulation and the promotion of responsible trading practices by taverns and bottle stores.

Community members recommended that dialogues such as this one continue to sustain momentum and provide updated information on addressing these social challenges.

They also urged the government to allocate more resources to combat GBVF and substance abuse and to prioritise policies that promote community development and social cohesion.

“The insights gathered from the Hofmeyr dialogue will inform strategies to intensify our efforts in the prevention of and fight against GBVF. It is crucial to continue raising awareness and working together to address these challenges,” said Moosa Magubane, Director: Community Development in the Department of Social Development.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign shines a light on the importance of collective action in combatting violence and ensuring the well-being of women, children, and vulnerable groups in society.