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BNG Journal

The 5th edition of the BNG Journal. I am one of the contributors

Sowetan, show empathy to fugitive's GBV claim

 It is unfortunate  that the Sowetan in a story headlined 4m fugitive keeps herself one step  ahead of the police published 28 September 2020,  decides not to believe that Bathobile Mlangeni is  a victim of gender based violence.

 The newspaper  states that Bathobile “..Sought refuge in a three –roomed RDP house…under the pretext of being on the run from an “abusive boyfriend.”

Pretext is defined as a pretended reason for doing something that is used to hide the real reason.

The story failed to state that if indeed Bathobile had a boyfriend during the time the alleged crime was committed. It also fails to prove that she was not abused.

Violence against women in South Africa has shown that no woman is spared from it, as women from different races and social class have been victims.

The story trivialises the matter and fails to take into account that if the abuse had happened it might have pushed Bathobile to commit the alleged crime as she needed money to flee from her abuser who had threatened to “make the docket disappear” because he is a police officer. Also, Bathobile might have committed the alleged crime under duress from the said police officer.

By belittling the reason the Sowetan perpetuates the idea that only a certain type of woman can be abused. Saying Bathobile cannot be abused because she is an alleged criminal is no different from asking a woman what she was wearing when she was raped.

It is a duty of all of us in society to create an environment that allows all women, to speak out against violence without having to worry that they will not be believed because of their other life choices.

 

From Luzuko Pongoma

Naturena

NB: This letter was published in the Sowetan Newspaper on the 30 September 2020. It was a response to the story with the link below

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-09-28-woman-who-stole-millions-from-mall-of-africa-continues-to-give-the-cops-the-slip/

ULUTSHA NE MPILO KWI XESHA LO BHUBHANE WE COVID 19

 

Luzuko Pongoma

Ulutsha olumnyama luzifuma lunoxanduva olulongameloyo nkalo zonke  ebomini balo. Kwabo sebekhulile olu lutsha luzalwe ngeminyaka yama 1980s lubonakala njengabantu abonqenayo abangazimiselanga ntweni.

Kaloku, olu lutsha luzalwe ngeminyaka ye 80s, luzalelwe ku Mzantsi Afrika ubuphantsi kwengcinezelo, yabantu abamnyama ngabamhlophe. Kodwa luthe xa lusithi dlundlu, lufikisa yafika inkululeko.

Inkululeko leyo ke ifike nezithembiso ezininzi eziquka, imfundo efelefele, imisebenzi ephucukileyo, nobomi ubungcono.

Ngokweze politiki luye lwakhona lona utshintsho, abantu bakhokelwa zinkokheli ezimnyama kodwa wona amathuba awavulekanga ngoluhlobo uninzi lwabantu belulindele ngalo. Ingcinga yokuba amathuba ayimfumba kodwa iye yaqhubeka ibhebhethekiswa. Lento yokungakhuleli phantsi kwe ngcinezelo nokubhebhethekiswa kwentetho yakuba amathuba afele, yenze ukuba kulindelwe  lukhulu kolu lutsha. Lemeko yenze ulutsha lube kwisimo esifuna ukuba lujike amatye abezizonka.

Ngenxa yoxizelelo ngokulindeleke ngakubo, olu lutsha luzibhaqa luntyumpa ntyumpeka kumatyala kuba luzama ukufezikiza iminqweno nezithembiso. Phofu ke  eminye iminqweno ingeyoyabo, iyeyabazali. Lento ke yaphinda yongezelelwa lukhuphiswano no ntanganani. Uninzi luzibhaqa lungaphilanga ngokwase moyeni nase ngqondweni lufunyanwa zizigulo ezayamanelene no xinzelelo namaxhala. Luthi ke ulutshwa lwakuthetha ngalemeko lu nyenjwe lukwekwe ibethelwe buyaba imeko yabo. Ibhelu lomsele ne ziyobisi ziye zayi ngubo yozibopha amanxeba, nto leyo eye yakhokela ekuphileni ubomi obudlakadlaka ebukhokelise ukwanela obuza msinyane futhi kuhlale ithutyana.

Besaphila obubugxwayiba bobomi bungenasiphelo siphuhlileyo,olu lutsha lutshovelwe enzulwini yesiziba ngu bhubhane I COVID 19 oye washiya uninzi luphelelwe yimpangelo abanye bethotyelwe imirholo.

Lento iye yongezelela uxinzelelo ngakumbi ebomini bolu lutsha. Iziyobisi ezifana no tywala, ebebezisebenzisa njengomthoba ntliziyo nazo bezivaliwe. Ezo bezithengiswa bezifumane nge ntyunkula yemali futhi usaphula umthetho.

Ubomi besantya esiphezulu obungahambiselaniyo nokubase mpilweni buvele bama bhunxe kungakhenge kubekho saziso.

 

Lo bhubhane uye wabhentsisa impilo egwenxa ephilwa lulutsha, into efana nokuphila ubomi obungaphezulu kwemali umntu anayo, ubukhoboka ematyaleni. Ukuzinikela kutywala nakwiziyobisi, nokungakhathaleli imizimba. Ulutsha kumele luxoze mphini wumbi ukuze lizokwazi udlala indima ecacileyo elizweni. Kumele lufunde luphinde luphuhlise ubudlelwane lwalo ne mali. Ulutsha kumele luqhaphele indlela ubomi balo elububeke esichengeni ngenxa yokubeka “ubumnandi” phambili. Nangona amanani akhutshwa zingcali esithi abantu bazophila ubomi obude, ingaba ke luzophila ubomi obude obukwiqondo eliphezulu na xa bewuxhaphaza kangaka umzimba ebutsheni babo.

Indlela eya phambili icacile kumele ulutsha luguqule indlela eliphilangayo ubomi nedlela elibujonga ngalo. Lumele luguqule indlela ngokwasempilweni alukwazi kubuyela kundalashe ngenxa yalobhubhane. Kumele ke luthathe elithuba luguqule namanye amacandelo obomi balo.