Free State premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae called out communities to take a stand against crookedness in their communities at Maluti a Phofung Men’s Indaba in Mohaladitwe Secondary School in Phuthaditjhaba QwaQwa, joined by Counsillor Connie Msibi and exucutive mayor of local municipality Thabo Mofutsanyane.
According to Letsoha-Mathae, moral decay has added to social problems over the province in various communities and that a lot of challenges faced in communities is due to immorality. She further said that people in esteemed positions such as spiritual leaders and educators are the one’s perpetrating abominable crimes against women and children, and in worst-case scenarios, fathers having sexual relations with their daughters.
“There are people who call themselves traditional healers and those who call themselves religious leaders. They lure vulnerable women to their homes with the promise of praying for them, only to violate them”, added Letsoha-Mathae.
She further mentioned the recent case of a teacher who had charges laid against him for violating a learner and about a father who has made his daughter pregnant. “This is the world we live in and I am calling for a return to our values, she emphasised.
“There are also others who use social media to lure unsuspecting women with promises of jobs. These are sick people who get gratification out of raping and killing”, said Letshoha-Mathae. She mentioned that sometimes parents contribute to Gender Based Violence because they fight in front of their children. She said this becomes an occurring cycle as boy children are usually closer to their mothers and will automatically protect them from their violent fathers.
Letsoha-Mathae concluded that boy children may end up killing or critically harming their fathers. “That is why it is important for parents to address their differences in a mature manner”, she added.
Compiled by Sibongile Selomane
