Time to deal with abuse in entertainment industry: Nkosi-Malobane
Close to 10 000 cases of sexual offences were reported in Gauteng alone in 2018, MEC for community safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane said on Monday.
The MEC was speaking at a dialogue on the impact of gender-based violence in the entertainment sector in Irene, east of Tshwane.
Nkosi-Malobane said the numbers show the extent of the abuse women face at hands of their loved ones.
“We recorded about 39552 cases of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, 43587 for common assault and 10116 reported for sexual offences in 2018."
Nkosi-Malobane believes the time has come for the government to address violence against women in the entertainment industry, saying while they are entertaining people across the country, inside they are dying.
“It is time for us to confront the challenge of gender-based violence in the entertainment industry, we have been quite for some time."
The dialogue comes after a few weeks a Babes Wodumo real name Bongekile Simelane, pressed charges after her boyfriend Mandla Maphumulo, also known as Mampintsha, assaulted her.
Nkosi-Malobane said the numbers show the extent of the abuse women face at hands of their loved ones.
“We recorded about 39552 cases of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, 43587 for common assault and 10116 reported for sexual offences in 2018."
Nkosi-Malobane believes the time has come for the government to address violence against women in the entertainment industry, saying while they are entertaining people across the country, inside they are dying.
“It is time for us to confront the challenge of gender-based violence in the entertainment industry, we have been quite for some time."
The dialogue was attended by close to 500 young women from various sectors of society in the province.
Nkosi-Malobane hopes the dialogue will assist in confronting abuse, not only in the entertainment industry, but in all communities.
The incident was recorded live on social media platform Instagram, earlier last month.
Mampintsha was later arrested and released on R2 000 bail and is expected be back in court on May 15.