CSVR together with LGBVF hosts a community dialogue to find solutions to the violent crimes in Lusikisiki

In an effort to find the reasons behind the widespread violence and crime in Lusikisiki, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in partnership with the Lusikisiki Gender Based Violence & Femicide combat team (LGBVF) hosted an emotional and insightful community dialogue at Mvemve Lodge in Lusikisiki.

Community members from different villages’ surrounding Lusikisiki came out in numbers to be a part of this community dialogue. Amongst the community members were traditional leaders, concerned parents, the youth as well as victims and survivors of all kinds of violent crimes.

Most attendees of the dialogue lambasted the SAPS and the justice system for failing them in their cry for help. The high unemployment rate which they think is causing people to develop bad habits was also credited for being one of the major contributors to the high crime.

This non-governmental organisation came to Lusikisiki to conduct research on some of the potential causes of the widespread crime and violence in the small town. Naledi Joyi a lead researcher from CSVR told Pondoland Times that their role is to understand what the causes of violence are and then facilitate conversations of trying to find solutions with community members.

“Lusikisiki is known as a rape capital, there are many places where crime and other violent crimes happen but Lusikisiki seems to have some kind of character that encourages these crimes. So the reason for this research is to find out firstly, what are the causes of violence because we believe that if we know the causes we also know the consequences, so after the consequence we need to know what we can do. And what we have seen with our research is that, the consequences or solution cannot come from us as the organisation but will come from the people who stay here and live this thing as a reality every day. They are the ones who will tell us, this is how we live and the way to solve this will come from them.” Said Joyi

Some of the attendees of the dialogue were the elderly and fragile women who spoke about how they survived rape in their declining years.

Some residents of Lusikisiki have taken it upon themselves to find ways to protect children who are most likely to be victims of crime. Mrs. Msabe an inkciyo mother (virginity tester) who also was a victim of rape when she was younger shared how challenging it is to play a role of being protector without the support of law enforcers.

“I have 85 girls under my care, I realized when I got to Lusikisiki that many young girls are being raped and they are being raped by their neighbors, brothers, uncles and even fathers. And these rape cases never make get to court because they are discussed by family and families of victims get paid off. I then took the decision to fight for these children and raise them myself so that if they get raped I quickly see it because nobody realizes that a child was raped until it is too late. So I want to see it early and fight for the child before the parents are paid off with goats because once a child gets raped their lives are never the same again. Children under my care are still being raped and parents have lost all hope, they no longer even report to SAPS. For example I have the most painful case I have come across is that of a 6 year old girl who was raped by a 28 year old man. The rapist was someone she knew, he was arrested and released on bail within a week. Doctors told us that the 6 year Old’s womb was severely damaged. Meanwhile the suspect got bail and was moving freely.” Said the virginity tester.

Msabe added by saying the victim is now 12 years old and is still traumatized because whenever it is cold she gets abdomen pains and bleeds heavily. En though that is the case her aggressor is still free and the police say they cannot find him as he left the province.

Meanwhile the Improved Gender Acts and Discrimination of Children Initiative (IGADCI) non-profit organisation is also in the fight against violence. This NPO is mainly focused on targeting children in schools and getting their perspective in what is happening their little worlds.

Aphiwe Ngiwaza of IGADCI explained the importance of involving children in the fight against violence and crime. “The basic principle about life is that as adults we were children first that means there should be a consideration in how I am being raised as a child so that when I am older I am able to raise my own children. So there are things children know just because they are children and as adults there is no way we know what they know. Then if you use that principle you might be able to understand the child’s perspective and raise children better and then involve the child in how you raise them. So children are important to us because they are obviously our future.