The Deputy National Commissioner for Human Resource Management in the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya, has lauded the organisation’s women for working tirelessly during women’s month to ensure that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence are brought to book through ‘Operation Basadi’.
She was addressing female officers, as well as police trainees, at the closing celebrations of Women’s Month held at the Tshwane Police Academy.
During her address, Lt Gen Mgwenya highlighted the successes of ‘Operation Basadi’ – an initiative by women throughout the organisation aimed at preventing, combatting and investigating cases of Gender-Based Violence and violence against vulnerable groups.
Amongst the successes noted, was the arrest of more than a thousand suspects across all nine provinces for various crimes including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, amongst a host of offences. She has encouraged members to continue the fight against Gender-Based Violence and be more vocal about crimes involving women and children.
“I am urging women, our youth and the elderly, to work closely with the police to fight the scourge of abuse in their communities. We need women, especially policewomen, to help us unite against each case of domestic violence and abuse”
Lt Gen BC NGWENYA
The various operations conducted nationwide, were held in cooperation with the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. They included roadblocks, stop and search operations including the tracing of wanted suspects.
Also in the month of August, various other initiatives were held by the SAPS nationwide to identify and uproot cases of Gender-Based Violence within communities. Earlier this month, The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit Conference also took place followed by the Department of Police’s Action Indaba on Gender-Based Violence and Protection of Vulnerable Groups.
The Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba, also addressed senior female members during an engagement session during Public Service Women’s Management Week.
Earlier this week, Lieutenant General Mgwenya addressed more than 1000 women in the Eastern Cape about the various programmes within the SAPS, to address issues that influence and have an impact on the lives of women in South Africa.
“Women in the SAPS must take their rightful places as leaders in the organisation. We have many women leaders in the organisation, some who are Provincial, Regional and Divisional Commissioners – they must ensure that the various initiatives against Gender-Based Violence gain momentum to ensure that we deal with the scourge of women and child abuse” concluded, Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya.