A private security company has partnered with the Eastern Cape community safety department to stage a safety and security imbizo aimed at empowering women to be on the lookout for potential physical harm.
Tyekana Protection Services, owned by security mogul and entertainer Mlindelwa “Man B” Tyekana, will stage the imbizo along with security cluster members such as the SAPS, Buffalo City Metro law enforcement and community policing forums.
This is an effort to raise awareness against the growing scourge of gender-based violence.
The event, titled “Women have the right to exist,” will take place at the Drifters Inn grounds in Cambridge, East London, on Saturday August 30 and is expected to attract scores of communities across the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) and nearby towns.
It is scheduled to kick off at 9.30am.
The imbizo will see members of the police, private security and law enforcement sharing safety tips they believe women should be armed with to stay clear of harm.
Community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha, who is expected to be the keynote speaker, has praised the initiative and said it was what the entire country needed.
“This is a great move by Tyekana, especially as it comes at a critical time where the nation is being troubled by matters of gender-based violence,” Nqatha said.
“It’s encouraging when the private sector partners with government to deal with societal matters, especially concerning the issue of violence against women. I’m looking forward to being part of this initiative.”
A 2024 study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found that 33.1% of all women aged 18 years and older had experienced physical violence in their lifetime.
This is equivalent to an estimated 7,310,389 women across the South African population.
The HSRC’s Dr Nompumelelo Zungu, who presented the study, said lifetime physical violence was significantly higher among black African women compared with women of other race groups.
“The high level of victimisation and perpetration of GBV observed among black communities requires that key stakeholders tackle the difficult conversation about the historical impact of state-sponsored violence and the brutality of apartheid in our communities,” she said.
According to a recent study by the Family and Divorce Law in SA, the Eastern Cape has seen a significant decrease in GBV cases, but 27% of women in the province have reported physical abuse by a current or former partner.
But Tyekana said the statistics, which included rape, physical violence and murder, should be even lower than the current percentage.
“We’re doing this irrespective of the decrease in GBV cases, because even that 27% should not be there,” he said.
“We can only be happy about the decrease, but we’ll be even happier if we curb GBV altogether.”
The event, which is also expected to be attended by BCM mayor Princess Faku, is the first of its nature and will be open to the public.
It will also see NGOs such as the Ubuhlebetu Centre, which specialises in creating fighting strategies for women and children, offering free trauma counselling to GBV victims.
Tyekana said it was only through events of this nature that women could truly gain significant knowledge about the dangers they face.
“We need to protect them, and as the security fraternity, it is our responsibility to ensure that,” he said.
“That’s why I call upon all residents of the metro and surrounding areas, even men, to be part of this imbizo.”
He said musicians under his label would perform some of their latest hit songs to ease any trauma that the direness of the subject might revive in GBV victims in the crowd.
Daily Dispatch