TO ensure that members of the Not in My Name International Organisation continue fighting against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the organisation recently hosted dialogues in different areas of the O.R. Tambo District and in Ngcobo.
According to the programme coordinator of Not in My Name International Organisation, Someleze Ngoyi, among the areas they visited were Mthatha, Lusikisiki and Ngcobo. He said they had hosted one of these dialogues in the Ndinisa locality in Mthatha last week, where community members were also given a chance to ask questions and to give advice on what should be done to fight this problem.
He added that in Lusikisiki, they were planning to host the second dialogue because the first one was held in the Ngobozana locality, where 18 people were killed in 2024.
“We even visited flood victims at North Crest in Mthatha, where we donated items to assist them. We also visited the Ngcobo area, where a 19-year-old woman was kidnapped and killed recently. What led us to host these dialogues is that we have realised there are many challenges that contribute to GBV. Sometimes this is caused by how a person was raised at home. Even the community plays a role in this problem,” said Ngoyi.
He added that most of the time, when there is a problem, people try to solve it through violence.
Ngoyi said another issue is that men are often referred to as the head of the household, and some try to assert that power through violence because they do not want anyone else to have a say.
According to him, the high unemployment rate also contributes to GBV.
“This problem not only affects older people; young people are also victims. When the idea of 50/50 was introduced, it was meant to give equal rights to both men and women. But now some people are taking advantage of it and using it in the wrong way. In some households, there are problems regarding responsibilities because of this rule.”
One of the community members, Busiswa Ndabangaye, said they hope there will be a positive change after this dialogue in the Ndinisa area.
She said their community has been facing many challenges.
“There is a high rate of rape in our area, so we are hoping that this problem will now decrease since we are having this dialogue,” she said.
Chairperson of Ward 35 Ministers Fraternal, Apostle Zandisile Notsolo, said they were pleased about the dialogue, and they hope the members will return.
“It seems the issue of GBV does not start with violence but begins with small arguments. When there is a misunderstanding among families, there should be someone who intervenes so that it does not escalate to the point where violence occurs,” said Notsolo.
He encouraged young women to work hard so they can sustain themselves instead of depending on men for support.
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