Gender equality minister Doreen Sioka says warning signs of violence should be treated with urgency, especially in troubled relationships.
Sioka, who this week spoke in the National Assembly on gender-based violence, said such cases should be reported to the police, social workers and or any other professionals offering psychological counselling or mental health therapy.
A fresh case is that of a 37-year-old resident of Kleine Kuppe who drove all the way to Omega in the Kavango East area where he committed suicide after he allegedly strangled his wife to death last week in Windhoek.
The lifeless body of Eric Zambwe Sikanda was discovered on Friday morning. It is alleged Sikanda was heading to Katima Mulilo where he and his wife are from.
The police suspect that Sikanda killed his wife, Purity Luze Matengu, a nursing student, in their rented backyard flat on Thursday morning last week and fled the scene thereafter. New Era learnt the relationship between the two was marred with violence.
“It is with a heavy heart that I stand before you once again talking about horrendous acts of gender-based violence with the fresh one of the cases of a young man killing his wife and driving such a long distance just to go and kill himself as well. This is so much pain to the families and us as a country to lose such young people that were needed to contribute to the development of the nation,” she said.
Sioka noted that despite the fact that the government has been talking about preventive messages, gender-based violence cases are on the increase with young women losing their lives and children becoming orphans.
She said she tends to think that maybe sometimes these services of counselling and other preventive measures come late as families, neighbours and communities may find themselves not acting fast enough to ensure couples in problems are helped before their resorting to violence.
Hence, she urged people to treat any sign of violence between those in violent relationships before it is too late.
Another disturbing issue she highlighted is women dumping their newborn babies and killing them. “Violence against children is still a thorn in the flesh and great concern to the government and the public at large. If we are not able to care for the babies, please bring them to the ministry so that we find an individual who will be able to care for them,” she advised.
Equally, she urged victims of gender-based violence and their families to always seek help to be counselled in order to continue living a productive life.
She added that counselling helps one to cope with the situation and will also help an individual to control and manage anger.
– anakale@nepc.com.na