All relevant governmental departments were represented at the event and the community was afforded an opportunity to engage with them by asking questions and raising their concerns and the challenges they face.
"The Imbizo was specifically held in Conville as it is, according to the stats of the police, one of the areas in the Province with the highest number of domestic violence cases," explained Johan Pienaar, DCS communication official in George.
Members of the Department of Justice and Crime Prevention, DCS, police, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Department of Community Safety, the Department of Home Affairs, Legal Aid South Africa and the Executive Mayor of the Eden District Municipality, Wessie van der Westhuizen addressed the women explaining their rights as women within their home and community.
George Police cluster commander, Major-General Thembisile Patekile delivered a "to-the-point" address commiserating with the women and the violence they face. He lamented with the women about the often unrealistic demands made on them by their husbands.
When Major-General Patekile said that he was aware of husbands spending the night at a tavern and arriving home at 03:00 demanding that his wife wake up and cook food, the women cheered and loudly agreed that this was not "right". Due to the high level of violence directly related to drugs and alcohol, he added that the police would be stopping members of the community for impromptu searches and would arrest anyone found to be carrying any concealed weapons, drugs or to be under the influence.
He assured the women that the police would be more visible within the Conville area. He further asked that the community mark their possessions and write down serial numbers of their goods and store that list in a safe place which would assist the police in prosecuting a suspect found in possession of stolen items.
Gerda Marx from the NPA honoured the over 20 000 women who stood up for their rights and marched on the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956. She asked the women present what legacy they were leaving behind for their children and added that she understood the reasons why so many women chose to remain silent about the violence they face, often on a daily basis. According to Marx, many women don't speak out because they are concerned about their financial plight should the only breadwinner in the family be arrested.
"I ask you today, don't look away. We and our partners ask that you take our hands. We will ensure that your rights are adhered to," said Marx. "We are paid to work for you. The moment you speak out you are no longer a victim, but a survivor," she said.
Mr G Morris from the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, spoke about several upliftment programmes and made mention of one in particular, Chrysalis Academy.
This academy is an initiative started by the Western Cape Provincial Government during 2000 to provide a social crime prevention and upliftment programme for the "youth at risk". Morris explained that Chrysalis was not a rehabilitation programme, but rather a preventative initiative. The academy focuses on the individual's physical, psychological and spiritual development, resulting in realistic and sustainable results. He assured the women that the government was looking to send more youths from their area to the academy. "Any young person taken up in the Chrysalis programme is ensured a job by the time they have completed the course," he said.
Following the role players' address, the women were given the opportunity to ask departmental representatives questions. For those who wanted to pose questions and receive information in private, each department had an information stall where information was provided.
Women from Conville listen while their rights are explained to them by various governmental departments.
'We bring you the latest George | Garden Route news'
