MBABANE: Mlungisi Makhanya, the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement(PUDEMO) said cases of Gender Based Violence(GBV) must be released daily so that the Nation can understand the importance of addressing this scourge.
Speaking to this Swaziland News and reacting to media reports suggesting that a well-known football administrator Paul 'Magidzeludzakeni' Masilela killed his wife, the President expressed serious concerns that only a few cases of domestic violence reached the public domain.
“We need a mechanism that will ensure the release of daily statistics of Gender Based Violence, for now we have a few cases in the media perhaps just because those involved are prominent people.The truth is, there are many cases in the rural areas that are never reported, they just become community statistics. We need the statistics to be reported so the issue could feature highly on our national discourse as country” ,he said.
The PUDEMO President further emphasized the importance of empowering the girl child with basic necessities to reduce the vulnerability and dependence on men that resulted to women abuse. He said schools should also introduce a syllabus to capacitate children about issues surrounding Gender Based Violence. The President also called for the abolishment of cultural practices that placed men as superior human beings, he said some of these practices were not actually part of the Swazi Culture and Tradition but they were merely introduced by individuals with the intention of suppressing women.
Eswatini, a tiny Kingdom situated in Southern Africa has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line, women rights violations, poverty, inequality and or lack of economic independence among women are some of the perpetrating factors of Gender Based Violence(GBV).
PUDEMO President Mlungisi Makhanya