Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has strongly condemned the brutal killing of a 45-year-old mother of four, whose body was found by the police together with two other victims at Sebayeng village in Limpopo.
The Minister said the incident happened as the country commemorates Women’s Month under the theme: “Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy Towards Women’s Development”.
“I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the violence and brutal killings of women, particularly, during the month of August where we expect women to be embraced, protected, and celebrated,” Minister Tolashe said.
She said August should be the month when all South Africans celebrate women as active agents of change and social transformation. This should be done by reflecting on the achievements of women over many years, as well as their transformation and development of the past 30 years.
“This month coincides with the country’s commemoration of 30 Years of Freedom and Democracy, making this year’s Women’s Month an important juncture for collective reflection on how we have empowered and advanced the rights of women on our democratic journey.”
The Department of Social Development in Limpopo, through its social workers, conducted a visit to the home of the deceased, Maria Matsobane Makgato, in the village of Kotishing, in Polokwane.
It was discovered that the deceased was unemployed and supported her family through the child support grant which she received for her children.
The three of her children are attending school and the youngest is registered at an early childhood development centre. The eldest is 22 years old and employed as a casual worker at a local farm with her contract ending in December this year.
“Social workers are greatly assisting the family and an assessment of the needs of the family was conducted to determine how best they could be supported. Counselling was provided as part of the basket of psychosocial support services the department provides to victims who have suffered trauma and loss,” the Minister said.
The social worker appointed to the case will continue with psychosocial support and aftercare services.
A report will be compiled to determine a suitable person to care for the children and the family will be provided with a Social Relief of Distress grant while awaiting the post-mortem results so they can finalise the burial service of the deceased.
As the country celebrates 70 years of the Women’s Charter this year, Minister Tolashe said the country was duty bound to work together as a society to defeat the primitive agenda of a patriarchal system that denies women fundamental human rights and seek to promote equality across all genders.
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