EFF president Julius Malema has encouraged victims of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) to report their plight to EFF branches if they do not get help from police stations.
Malema was addressing a crowd of women who attended the party’s Women’s Day rally at Matatiele in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.
The Women’s Day celebrations have been marred by a spate of gender-based violence incidents in recent years, especially in the province.
Last year, Fort Hare University student Nosicelo Mtebeni was killed and dismembered allegedly by her boyfriend Alutha Pasile on 19 August in East London.
Four other women were killed in Matatiele in the week Mtebeni was found murdered in the province.
Another woman was also allegedly recently beaten to death by two men in a village near the town.
The red berets leader called on all victims of violence inflicted by men to be reported to their branches so that they could take the perpetrators to task.
“These days, women don’t know where to run to because even if they go to church, they get raped at church, and when they run to the traditional councils, they get raped even there.
“When they run home, where they think it’s safe, they get raped there too,” Malema said.
“Young girls are raped by uncles and neighbours, where they think they are safe, not knowing that is the enemy waiting for an opportunity.
“We have the responsibility to protect our women. We must make sure that our mothers and children are not raped or become victims of GBV,” he said.
“Go report these crimes at branches of the EFF because we must expose all these abusers.
“Here, in rural places like Matatiele, things don't work. When you get into the police station, you get sworn at by policemen when you report that you are being abused. They say it's a private matter and not a police matter.”
He urged his audience not to fight the police but report them to the EFF to deal with them.
“Don't fight with the cops. Act like you agree with them, and then get their names and go report them to the EFF. We will deal with them,” Malema said.