Cape Town – Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called for urgent action to confront gender-based violence and inequality in South Africa.
Chikunga’s appeal follows a disturbing incident on a farm in Limpopo, where two women were tragically killed, last week.
The victims, residents of the Onverwacht farm near Sebayeng outside Polokwane, reportedly fell victim to farm owner, Zachariah Olivier, 60, and his two employees, Adriaan de Wet, 19, and William Musoro, 45.
The three now face charges including attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and defeating the ends of justice.
FARMERS NABBED FOR KILLING TWO WOMEN
Two farmers, Rudolph De Wet and Zachariah Olivier appeared before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Friday after they shot and killed two women aged 45 and 35 and feeding their bodies to pigs at a farm in Sebayeng, Limpopo. pic.twitter.com/A8rgQiORtw
— Polokwane Weekly (@PolokwaneWeekly) August 23, 2024
“The ferocious murder of the two women confirms that South Africa is struggling to overcome the burden of race, class, and gender-based inequality inherited during the periods of colonialism and apartheid.
“Women in rural, remote and severely underprivileged areas remain one of the most vulnerable groups to violence in their communities and their homes,” Chikunga said, according to SA news.
She highlighted the severe and widespread issue of violence against women in South Africa, stressing that it impacts women across the nation.
She pointed out the specific vulnerabilities faced by rural women and those living on farms, emphasising the need for improved access to justice for these groups.
WARNING: Graphic content
The family of the two women, who were shot at a farm in Sebayeng outside Polokwane last week, will find out further details about their deaths when post-mortem results are released today. Their decomposed bodies were discovered in a pigsty at the farm,… pic.twitter.com/E8MM9r7q15
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) August 26, 2024
Chikunga also noted the persistent issues of unequal educational opportunities, segregated communities, and significant economic disparities, particularly affecting rural and farm-dwelling women, who are among the most marginalised in South Africa.
“Approximately 55.5% (30.3 million people) of the population is living in the national upper poverty line while a total of 13.8 million people (25%) is experiencing food poverty.
“Action has never been more urgent to reduce inequality in society, the department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is leading the socio-economic empowerment of women youth and persons with disabilities, by ensuring that gender-responsive planning and budgeting becomes a norm for the whole country as it works towards ensuring equality,” Chikunga said.
Mabutho Ndlovu, a survivor of the shooting, shared a personal account.
“The first shot was fired into the air. The second bullet hit me, the third bullet hit the other woman who was with us (Mariah Makgato), and the fourth bullet hit my wife. I went down, and after a while, I went to check on my wife to see if she was alive,” Ndlovu told Newzroom Afrika.
Ndlovu, who was in the hospital when he learned that the victims’ bodies had been found in a pigsty, expressed his pain.
“I did not expect that to happen. All this time, I thought my wife was in the women’s ward in the hospital. That hurt me so much,” he said.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@sindichikunga
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Lauren Petersen
