Women Abuse:

Needless to say, this has become an alarming trend. The Rainbow Nation was supposed to be a refuge for all but it seems that it’s become a hell for many. Every day, women in South Africa are subjected to horrible abuse, many times at the hands of their partners. Women in South Africa are murdered, sexually assaulted, threatened, humiliated and emotionally abused. Statistics have shown that 1 in every 6 women in South Africa are abused by their partners. And, instead of helping them, our government seems to only want to vilify them.

Of course, to appease the masses, our government would institute laws and regulations in an attempt to curb the violence perpetrated against women. One of those laws is the Domestic Violence Act of 1998. The purpose of this act was to afford women protection from domestic violence by creating obligations for our police force. Then there is the Sexual Offences and Related Matters act of 2007, an amendment from the original Sexual Offences Act of 1957, which obligates state hospitals and GP’s to give rape victims post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP, which can prevent HIV) and other anti-retroviral drugs. But these laws don’t seem to address the underlying problem.

That problem is abuse against women. Only when that problem is addressed, can there be change. And, the police won’t help. Most of them can’t even qualify using their own firearms so how do we expect them to disarm an attacker. No, the only recourse we have is to arm ourselves. The police and the government won’t protect us so we must. It’s either that or let the wave of crime wash over us and, for the sake of our women and children, that is something we definitely cannot afford. The only protection, the only recourse we have at this point is to educate ourselves about firearms, acquire a licence and to become gun-competent.

This may seem like a radical move, like vigilantism but what other options do we have? Every day, we read stories in the papers about a woman getting raped in front of either her husband or children and each article seem to inevitably end with the words “no arrests have been made” or “the police are investigating the matter”. Doesn’t it strike you that the government seem more interested in placating the citizenry rather than actually combatting the problem? And, if they don’t combat it, who will? Any rationally minded person can tell you that, when the state sponsored protection has failed you, then the state has failed you. The only protection we have is that which we provide ourselves. .