By Mafumane Tlhapi and Menziwa Msibi

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Student Counselling and Development Centre, in conjunction with Protection Services and Student Judicial Services, held a silent awareness campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) on 4 May 2023 at the Mahikeng Campus’ main entrance.

The main aim of the campaign was to call the university and local community to action to publicly demonstrate their disapproval of GBV.

Furthermore, the campaign aims to kick off the 2023 war against GBV to raise awareness, provide psycho-education, and highlight the availability of support services for those in need.

The campaign featured a range of speakers, including deputy vice-chancellor for community engagement and Mahikeng Campus operations, Prof Sonia Swanepoel, as well as representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), Thuthuzela Care Centre, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, Protection Services, and Student Judicial Services.

During the event, participants wore tape over their mouths for an hour and held posters conveying messages such as "Respect is not optional, it’s essential”, “It all begins with respect" and "Violence prevention is a cure."

Prof Swanepoel urged everyone to break the silence surrounding GBV and to take action. “This is a huge problem in our country, but I know that each one of us can make a small difference. You can make a difference in your environment by breaking the silence by saying that this is enough,” she said.

Many of the speakers stressed the importance of reporting GBV incidents and not staying silent. They also emphasised that everyone could play a role in preventing GBV and creating safe communities.

Sergeant Kraai, a crime prevention officer from the SAPS, said the police cannot tackle GBV alone and encouraged people to report incidents to the police immediately, as this will aid them with their investigations. 

Mr Mbutho Kaulela, a manager at Protection Services, affirmed the NWU's commitment to investigating issues that students face and urged victims not to suffer in silence.

Stop the violence, start the conversation. Let’s work towards a world where gender is never a reason for fear, #EndGBV.