By REGINALD KANYANE ALL Stakeholders gathered at Dryharts playground in Dryharts village, in Taung on Tuesday to commemorate 16 Days of Activism of No Violence against Women and Children. The event was organised by Dr Ruth Mompati District Municipality. Community members welcomed the initiative in their area and said this will strengthen their working relationship with various stakeholders. Ruth Tlatsweng (55) said they live in fear after recent crimes taking place in their area. Tlatsweng said they do not feel safe anymore as criminals break into their homes. “Most elderly persons are raped and killed in their homes. However, the initiative has given us hope. Our government is doing its best to beef up security in our homes and it is up to us to play pivotal role in achieving that,” she said. Nthabiseng Sebabi (31) said many young people are engaged in drug and alcohol abuse. Sebabi further said this caused by high rate of unemployment. “Our youth have lost hope and indulge into drug and alcohol abuse. However, there are many programmes from the provincial government through Youth Enterprise Services (YES) structure that they can be part of. The North West Premier, Supra Mahumapelo encouraged the youth to form cooperatives and stop being consumers. “I do not believe that all crimes are caused by unemployment. We tend to rely heavily on government and expect hand-outs. Now is the time that we stand for what we believe in and become our own employers. Dryharts village is too small for all these shenanigans taking place here,” Sebabi said. According to North West SAPS statistics, more rapes across Taung are experienced at Dryharts village. Warrant Officer, Onkabetse Monnamme from Pudumong Family Violence Child Protection & Sexual Offence unit urged community members especially the youth to be cautious and responsible. “It is so heart-breaking to see a small village like Dryharts experiencing this kind of behaviour. More people are indulging in alcohol and drug abuse especially the youth. More rapes are experienced in the process. Our people drink in various taverns such as Motimalenyora in Pudumong and walk to their homes in the early hours of the mornings. “Most affected section is Tlhogoyapudi where the area is informal settlement. Most rapes are taking place at the railway lines. People tend to turn the railway lines into beds because of the darkness marred the surrounding. In most cases, there are no witnesses in these cases and this create challenges for police to do investigations,” Monnamme said. He further said victims and eyewitnesses sometimes deliberately hold back evidence and fail to cooperate. Monnamme added that people should take care of themselves and drink responsibly. “In most cases, those who are raped are between the age of 12- 25. Also 3 out of 10 elders between the age of 55-89 are victims of rape. Most girls who are victims of rape did not wear panties. They preferred free-styling which is a fashionable method among the youth. However, this brings challenges during forensic investigations. “We also urge our people to be wary when falling in love or being married to foreign nationals. According to our investigations, most South Africans are used by these foreign nationals to gain South African citizenship through marriage. SAPS will also engage with tavern owners to ensure they follow correct procedure and close on time,” he said. Monnamme urged school children to be disciplined at all times and enjoy their school holidays responsibly. Social Development was also part of the initiative. Bridgette Mooki from Social Welfare structure said: “We urge all women to report any form of domestic violence. We have realised that many women are depressed because they do not speak out. Many children are also abused and this affects them mentally. The social development department has various programmes to address abuse against women and children. “We also have men and boys strategy programme where men groom boys to become role models. They teach them values and morals that will assist them in the future. The department has many shelters to accommodate those who are abused. We have centres across each municipality to ensure that victims receive assistance.” Mooki further said Taung is mostly affected by women and children abuse. She added that 70% of referrals at Khuselela Centre are from Taung. Dr Ruth Mompati District Municipality mayor, Boitumelo Mahlangu said: “We need to come up with new strategic measures to address the pandemic. This is a societal issue and we cannot win it alone. Our people need to be self-empowered and capacitated to avoid being dependable. This should be a daily dialogue where we engage each other. “These challenges affect basic service delivery and we urge men to take the stand. They need to talk to those who are perpetrators to refrain from their criminal behaviour. Government must also strengthen the laws against perpetrators and women should also break the silence.” taungdailynews@gmail.com