Just days into the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Nelson Mandela Bay communities have already been shaken by shocking new cases of bloodshed.
Many gender-based violence (GBV) activists agree that the campaign is powerful in message but offers little impact.
The global campaign runs annually from November 25 to December 10.
Police are investigating a gruesome double tragedy after 41-year-old Mathabela Skei was found beheaded and 49-year-old Lunga Mabombo was discovered hanging from the roof trusses at a KwaNobuhle home on Thursday morning.
In Zwide, during the start of the campaign, 56-year-old Zukiswa Mini and a family friend were murdered in a vicious attack in her home, while her 29-year-old stepson survived with critical injuries.
Mini’s throat was slit and she suffered multiple stab wounds.
On December 3 at 4pm, police responded to a complaint in Xundu Street, Govan Mbeki, where they found Noluvuyo Nyaba, 28, with multiple gunshot wounds.
“The circumstances surrounding her death are still being probed,” police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said.
The recent national shutdown led by Women For Change sent a powerful message across the country as thousands of women dressed in black took to the streets, demanding urgent action against SA’s unrelenting wave of femicide.
On their website, Women for Change state that the shutdown was not just a protest, but a refusal to carry on as normal.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said the incident of the beheading demonstrated that violence was a daily reality that could not be addressed through short bursts of attention or one-off expressions of outrage.
Ilitha Labantu advocates for the rights of women and children, and promotes the fight against GBVF.
“A sustained year-round commitment is essential because the concerns facing women and children cannot be confined to Women’s Month or the 16 Days of Activism,” Monakali said.
“What is required is a consistent, co-ordinated form of activism that strengthens institutions, ensures accountability and maintains momentum long after public attention has shifted.
“We have repeatedly raised concerns over the low conviction rate of GBV-related crimes and the continued failure of the justice system to hold perpetrators accountable.
“An 8% conviction rate reflects a system that is not functioning for women and children.”
Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee said the recent incidents served as a painful reminder of the extreme brutality women continued to face in SA.
“We should all be deeply saddened and concerned to hear about the recent incidents of violence against women and children, particularly the tragic case of a woman who was beheaded,” Abramjee said.
“The recent events, including the reported case of femicide and suicide, unfortunately highlight the ongoing and critical need for the 16 Days campaign and the broader work to combat gender-based violence.
“It is disheartening that these horrific acts continue to occur despite significant efforts to raise awareness and promote change.
“The brutal nature of the recent incidents underscores the severity of the problem and the entrenched nature of the societal issues we are confronting.
“This also indicates the complex factors contributing to this violence, including issues such as power imbalances, toxic masculinity and the societal normalisation of violence.”
Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation chief executive and GBV activist Tania Koen shared the sentiments around the ineffectiveness of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
“The 16 days of activism is not enough,” Koen said. “It should be 365 days of action, not only from the government, but also from normal society.
“The thing is, the signs are there. When someone gets killed, the signs are sometimes there, but the friends and employers ignore the signs.
“If we are aware of the signs, we could reach out to the victims and perpetrators.
“Men and women can be victims and perpetrators, and it’s time we put action behind our words.”
The Herald