Interfaith Collective Unveils Historic Covenant to End GBV
After months of sweat and tears, the first-ever joint Interfaith Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024–2030 was officially launched yesterday at the Baha’i National Centre in Johannesburg. This landmark initiative represents a significant and urgent step to move beyond scripture and theology and take concrete action to end the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide in South Africa.
Developed by the Faith Action to End Gender-Based Violence Collective in partnership with We Will Speak Out South Africa (WWSOSA), the strategy reflects another significant milestone in the pioneering work of interfaith communities to address the scourge of violence, particularly against women, children, and members of the LGBTQI+ community. This initiative places faith leaders at the forefront of efforts to challenge the cultural and religious norms that have perpetuated GBV and femicide, striving to turn the tide on this rising epidemic. It builds on the successful 2023 launch of the interfaith Statement of Intent to End GBV.
“The scourge of gender-based violence costs the fiscus R56 billion annually in monetary terms. This includes direct costs such as medical care, legal services, and lost income. We are yet to fully calculate its devastating emotional and psychological toll on survivors and victims,” said Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike.
In her keynote address to the gathering, Letsike stated that religion “is one of the first lines of defence women, in their diversity, have against all forms of discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and identity, as this sector plays a crucial role in crafting society’s norms and values.”
She appealed to the interfaith community to “move beyond scripture and theology” and roll up its sleeves to address a crisis that “harms society.” She stressed that it requires a whole-of-society approach, insisting that the interfaith community must be at the forefront and perform its dual role of “providing a spiritual pathway and ensuring justice for survivors.”
Letsike defined the role of the interfaith community as “having a voice, a role, and expertise” to end violence and be “part of nation-building.” She criticised some in the sector for focusing on trivialities such as church dress codes and boldly stated, “When I go to church, I bring my heart.”
Daniela Gennrich, Coordinator at WWSOSA, emphasised that the Prevention and Mitigation Strategy is a crucial framework, stating, “Our role as a collective is to shift the critical mass, implement actionable plans, and hold each other accountable.” Gennrich firmly expressed that, as an interfaith movement, “we will no longer tolerate gender-based violence.” She described the strategy launch as a “covenant” to “rattle the cage,” urging for “no empty promises” and calling for a renewed zeal to end the practice of working in silos. Gennrich’s message was clear: the faith community must unite with purpose and drive to tackle gender-based violence effectively and collaboratively.
She posed the rhetorical question, “Is the church a safe space?” and immediately answered, “No.” She explained that now is the time to listen to the voices of survivors, underlining the urgency of the matter. Gennrich criticised certain members of the faith community who have “let down their congregants” and pointedly added, “It is very serious to be let down by your church.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Fikile Vilakazi Alberts, Chairperson of the Traditional Health Practitioners Council of South Africa, described the inclusion of spiritual violence in the latest amendments to gender-based violence legislation as an “aha moment.” Dr Vilakazi was candid in her critique of the traditional healing sector, admitting that historically, it “could not be trusted” with the human rights agenda and had, at times, been complicit in violence and creating unsafe spaces.
She threw down the gauntlet, firmly stating that violence must end now, declaring, “Not in our name.” She called on the sector to confront those involved in the perpetuation of spiritual violence, stressing the importance of accountability within the traditional healing community: “We must hold each other accountable.”
Speaking during a panel discussion, Bishop Nathi Zondi of Truvine Community Church and Executive Secretary of the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council shared that his turning point came when he was tasked with leading the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then that he was confronted with an overwhelming number of gender-based violence cases.
“It dawned on me that every Sunday, I preach to both survivors and perpetrators of this violence,” Zondi reflected. He embarked on a period of soul-searching, asking himself, “How does my preaching help to address this scourge?”
Bishop Zondi called for an “integrated response,” stressing that the faith community cannot be isolated from broader societal issues, remarking, “We are part of society.” He further condemned the blinding effect of privilege, stating, “Privilege blinds us—if it hasn’t happened to you, you are privileged, and that privilege blinds you.”
Dr Abdul Rashied Omar, Imam of the Claremont Main Road Masjid in Cape Town and a renowned scholar described the strategy launch as “a moment of deep reflection.” He acknowledged that the journey ahead would be challenging, referring to it as an “ongoing journey.” Dr Omar emphasised the need to end hatred and violence, reminding attendees that “we are all born pure with an inclination to goodness.”
Quoting the late President Nelson Mandela, he said, “If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” He stressed that as hatred is learned, so too can love and compassion be fostered among individuals and communities.
#FeesMustFall activist Fasiha Hassan, now a Member of the National Assembly representing the ANC, reflected on the historic anti-apartheid slogan, calling for a renewed wave of OCM: “Organise, Conscientise, Mobilise.” Hassan remarked that the strategy’s launch “reminds us of the power of organising.” She reinforced Daniela Gennrich’s sentiments, highlighting the urgent need for “critical mass to end gender-based violence.”
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