Social activists have accused Police Minister Bheki Cele of deflecting attention from GBV to illegal mining. Both issues have been prominent in the wake of Women’s Month and a rape incident on Gauteng’s West Rand.
Hassen Lorgat, Social Activist and Member of the People’s Media Consortium, said Cele has placed much emphasis on illegal mining but has done little to address GBV.
“By focusing on this issue [of illegal mining] at the backdrop of young women who are raped, you are deflecting from their pain – especially in Women’s Month. Let us stay focused on those who are most vulnerable in our society – those that men prey upon and there’s no justice,” he said.
Protests against illegal mining in West Village, near Krugersdorp, turned violent last week when the community burnt property alleged to be a hideout for illegal miners. One person was killed and several others were handed over to the Police.
Residents claimed that the illegal mining had fueled crime in the area. This prompted Cele to deploy a specialised unit to deal with illegal mining in the area.
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Deflection
Lorgat questioned why Cele had not sent Police to hunt down alleged rapists. He said Cele should deal with illegal mining without deflecting attention from GBV.
“9556 people were raped between July and September 2021 – an increase of 7.1% compared to the previous period. There was no outcry. About 4 000 of those women raped were raped either in their own homes or that of the perpetrator,” he said.
“So, what is it? Why are the police not raiding homes if this is the attitude they go to mine dumps?” he asked, stressing that “we want action on both, but do not be opportunistic and shift the blame from looking at finding the killers.”
He said: “ The issues around mining are important. Women get raped inside the mining areas, yes, but rape takes place every day, everywhere, in the street, in daylight in the dark and in our homes. Don’t run away from that”.
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Calls for Cele to be fired
Meanwhile, Cele has faced a backlash on social media after stating that one of the victims of the West Village gang rape was ‘lucky’ to have been attacked just once. He said so despite official records indicating that she was assaulted by ten men.
Civil society and political organisations have called for the controversial minister to be fired in light of the comment. A petition launched by the Democratic Alliance (DA) against Cele’s latest blunder has garnered almost 30 000 signatures.
Childline KZN acting director Adeshnie Naicker told news outlet IOL: ”The implication of that statement undermines the trauma of a raped woman. Trauma cannot be quantified. A woman raped once or multiple times is still a victim and should not be made to feel as though her trauma is not warranted.”
“Ordinary women suffer this on a daily basis. He wants to be Papa Action and when anyone does a search on him they’ll find that he’s in the media [so they think] he must be doing something correctly,” said Lorgat.
