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Daily Maverick
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
KZN premier told to apologise for ‘tone-deaf' gender-based violence campaign
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has been instructed to issue a public apology and rework the GBVF campaign after fierce criticism in a province deeply affected by gender-based violence. What was meant to be a campaign to tackle gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has erupted into a social media storm, with the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, led by Premier Thami Ntuli, coming under fire for harmful and tone-deaf messaging, according to gender activists. In a social media post, which has since been deleted, Ntuli's office had a post which featured an image of a tearful woman with visible bruises and the slogan: 'Asingababulali, Asibathande, Sibaphe imali', which translates to, 'Let us not kill them, let us love them, let us give them money.' Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has urged the KZN government to retract and review its GBVF campaign, issue a public apology and rework it in consultation with relevant stakeholders. (Screengrab: eNCAnews) Activist Brenda Madumise-Pajibo slammed the campaign, describing the messaging as 'tone-deaf, atrocious, and insensitive', and said it reflected a disturbing lack of understanding about the root causes and realities of gender-based violence. Furthermore, it reinforced harmful gender stereotypes, she said. 'We have seen that we have used violence to demonstrate that we love people and money has been at the centre of wanting control over women and that's why you have financial abuse from men. Once you send a message like that, you are perpetuating a myth that only men can take care of women and that the only thing that can satisfy women is when they have money, even when that money comes with abuse,' she said. The campaign comes against the backdrop of KwaZulu-Natal ranking fourth in the country for reported gender-based violence cases. December 2025, in particular, saw a spike in horrific incidents involving women killed by their intimate partners. In one incident which sent shockwaves through the country, a man identified as Sibusiso Lawrence took to social media to share horrific video footage showing his bloodied girlfriend, stabbed to death. In a short confession, he alleged it was because she had cheated on him. Tragically, this was not an isolated incident. Several similar cases have emerged in the weeks since. The disturbing statistics come despite a 2020 declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa of GBVF as a national pandemic. Following the declaration, the government adopted the GBVF National Strategic Plan. But practical and accountable implementation has slowed to a snail's pace. Lack of accountability Despite the lack of progress in tackling the pandemic, activist and chairperson of Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice Lebogang Ramafoko said the KZN messaging was unacceptable and called for accountability. 'If I was a self-respecting government which is committed to women in this country, to ending GBV, this poster would not have existed and an apology would have been given to women, or at least the humility to sit down with activists to understand why this cannot happen,' she said. Ramafoko said it was almost as if the government was continuously scoring own goals where GBV was concerned. Meanwhile, Madumise-Pajibo suggested that the KZN provincial government worked in silos and was not looking at the work done through the national strategic plan on GBV. The plan offered a comprehensive framework for tackling gender-based violence, with specific guidance on messaging that acknowledged the structural and systemic drivers of the issue, she said. Both activists criticised the recent campaign for failing to align with the national strategic plan, particularly Pillar 1, which emphasised accountability, coordination and leadership, pointing to a clear lack of strategic engagement. The campaign also disregarded key principles from Pillar 2, which focused on prevention and shifting harmful social norms that perpetuated gender-based violence. Ntuli told to apologise Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has since instructed the provincial government to retract, review the campaign and issue a formal apology to South Africans. In a letter directed to Ntuli, Letsike said the messaging was not only sexist, but dangerously reductive as it perpetuated harmful stereotypes about the worth of persons belonging to vulnerable groups being tied to material compensation and failed to address the systemic roots of gender-based violence. Reducing any person's safety and dignity to a transactional exchange undermined the very purpose of anti-GBVF initiatives. It communicated to perpetrators that abuse could be 'offset' by financial support, and to victims that their pain could be pacified with money. 'This is a gross misrepresentation of the lived realities of survivors and an egregious watering down of the work by countless government actors, activists, civil society organisations and community members who are fighting tirelessly to end GBVF through empowerment, justice and education. 'A government-led GBVF campaign should aim to challenge all iterations of patriarchy and promote gender equality, not reinforce the deeply embedded notions that women are commodities to be controlled, appeased or purchased,' Letsike said. In March 2025, Premier Ntuli announced that his government would launch an anti-gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide app designed to provide real-time emergency assistance and direct access to critical support services. According to the premier's spokesperson, Bongani Gina, the app would initially be rolled out to students at higher learning institutions across the province. It would integrate with campus security and other local security networks to ensure comprehensive coverage. The app would allow users to send distress signals, access immediate medical and legal support and alert security personnel in the event of an emergency, EWN reported.
TimesLIVE
05-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'Love them, give them money': KZN premier's GBV poster slammed as 'patriarchal'
A government-issued gender-based violence (GBV) awareness poster has ignited a firestorm of criticism from gender rights activists who say the message is not only tone-deaf but dangerously reinforces harmful stereotypes. The poster, issued by the office of the KwaZulu-Natal premier, featured the slogan 'Asingababulali, Asibathande, Sibaphe imali', which translates to 'Let us not kill them, let us love them, let us give them money.' Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice board chair Lebo Ramafoko has condemned the messaging as patriarchal and out of touch, especially given the alarming levels of GBV in the province. 'My first reaction after 35 years of doing this work was utter disgust and disappointment at a message that comes from a government that uses public funds in a province that has one of the largest cases of GBV,' she said in an interview with eNCA. 'After so many efforts, including a National Strategic Plan (NSP) on gender-based violence that had many sector stakeholders involved, not only is it tone-deaf but it reinforces stereotypes steeped in patriarchy about masculinity. If you read the message, it looks like it is directed at men, telling them to love women and give them money,' said Ramafoko. 'The *imali* (money) part mostly leads to abuse. It gives some men the impression that if I provide for her, she is my commodity. This vanity cannot be encouraged. The premier misread the room temperature on this one. This is a clear manifestation that our politicians are out of touch with reality,' wrote Lindile KaPhumelele Tshangisa Stuurman on Facebook. Another user, Nkanyiso Ngcobo, commented: 'Politicians are not in touch with the real societal issues. They just say things to grab public attention. This poster is dividing society and fuelling GBV.' Amid the widespread backlash, the premier's office removed the controversial poster from its official social media pages. The controversy comes at a time when KwaZulu-Natal continues to face alarming gender-based violence and femicide (GBV-F) statistics. The province has the highest rate of GBV-F incidents in South Africa, with cases ranging from domestic violence to femicide and sexual assault. During the provincial launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign last year, premier Thami Ntuli acknowledged the crisis. He revealed that the province has the fourth-highest ratio of rape cases at 17.3%, according to the police minister's second-quarter crime statistics for 2024. Speaking at the campaign's launch Ntuli noted that the province recorded 175 rape cases, 23 sexual assaults and 1,272 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, all classified as domestic violence-related crimes. Some of these incidents occurred in educational settings: one at a crèche, 13 in schools and four at tertiary institutions. Ntuli said the campaign aims to tackle the root causes of GBV-F by promoting positive masculinity, advancing gender equity and creating economic opportunities for women and children. However, critics argue that the now-deleted poster undermines these very goals. 'This poster sends the wrong message,' said one activist. 'It reduces the solution to GBV to affection and financial provision, rather than addressing the deeper structural, cultural and economic inequalities that fuel it.'
eNCA
04-05-2025
- eNCA
Activists slam KZN Premier's office GBV poster
JOHANNESBURG - Gender activists are slamming a GBV awareness poster issued by the Office of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier. WATCH | South Africans in the UK set to protest against GBV The poster bears the slogan 'Asingababulali, Asibathande, Sibaphe imali'. This translates to 'Let us not kill them, let us love them, let us give them money'. The Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice says the messaging is tone-deaf. Lebo Ramafoko, the Board Chair of Hlanganisa, claims that the relatively few women who report cases are not supported.
