Incidents relating to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the Free State are increasing at an alarming pace.
This resurfaced during a GBVF summit held in Bloemfontein on Monday (15/08). It was held under the theme “Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights for an equal future”.
Testament to the scourge of GBVF intensifying in the Free State is the number of cases being reported. Between April, May and June, 572 cases were reported at police stations across the province.
Added evidence is crime statistics in the third quarter (2021-’22) revealing that the number of women killed in South Africa has increased to 902, and that the number of those raped was 11 315.
Organs of state that include the police, prosecution and the courts participated in the one-day summit in Bloemfontein to get input on how to tackle this scourge of violence.
Ntombizanele Sifuba, speaker of the Free State Provincial Legislature, organised the summit in the view of the negative impact GBVF has on society.
