The word respect is the single most powerful weapon that we can use to combat violence against women and children, says dr. Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus.
Today, with the urgent parliamentary debate on the problem of violence against women and children, dr. Groenewald said that the very fact that there needs to be a debate on this in parliament leaves a blemish on the reputation of South African communities.
“Women and children need to be treated with love and care. Respect plays a big role in this. If a man has respect for himself, he will also have respect for women and children.
“Yesterday, pres. Zuma said that women should report cases of domestic violence to the police, but herein lies one of the biggest problems. There have been incidents where women reported being raped to the police, only to be put in a cell and be raped by the police officers.
“This is why some women are afraid to report this kind of crime. Despite the minister of police saying that women have to report these incidences and that the police officers, who don’t pay attention to these matters, will get into trouble.
“My suggestion is that we all go back to our communities and offer respect as the solution to the problem. Only respect for one another can solve the problem and we are all obliged to do this,” said dr. Groenewald.
In his speech, dr. Groenewald referred to statements by the Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini, who said that women have to oppose men that abuse them. The king also said that, given the chance, he would be able to solve these problems within a month.
The king was referring to events that transpired at Cato Manor near Durban in 1959, when women decided to take action and remove their husbands from beer halls.
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