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Home / First Lady launches anti-violence initiative
First Lady launches anti-violence initiative
2018-02-16Staff Report 2 Albertina Nakale Windhoek-The First Lady, Madam Monica Geingos, is disturbed by comments made particularly by young Namibians on social media when news items regarding “passion killings” are posted online. Dozens of women, and in some cases men, have been killed at the hands of their lovers across the country. Of late, Rundu was left reeling in shock on Monday after a 32-year-old man took the police to a ‘secondary crime scene’ where he allegedly buried his girlfriend. The suspect allegedly strangled his girlfriend at Divundu and drove with the body for 200 kilometres before burying it in Rundu. Geingos, who was the guest speaker at the University of Namibia (Unam) on Wednesday, spoke against violence, which is committed at an alarming rate in Namibia. She said she is disturbed by public conduct, especially the youth who tend to comment on social media alleging that “if a girlfriend is killed by her boyfriend it is because she was cheating”. She slammed such misguided notions, cautioning the youth to desist from such tendencies, as this could fuel violence. Furthermore, she expressed concern that most of those involved in such brutal killings are young people themselves. “If a man can stab his friend over a bottle of Castelo, why do you think he would [not] be able to stab his girlfriend? If you don’t take drastic measures now, what happens in 15 years’ time? That’s why we need to take action now,” she said. She said those who grew up in violent homes, and who would only know how to communicate through violent means are the ones who are likely to commit violence. “Violence is the worst form of communication. When you are bullying someone on social media, that’s violence,” she maintained. Madam Geingos officially launched the #BreakFree, #BeFree anti-violence initiative, which will run until December 2018, with the aim to help reduce violence in Namibia. Driven by the evidence-based approach, the First Lady and her team embarked on a research within the Windhoek Correctional Facility. She said the findings from this research have prompted a deeper analysis into the high levels of violence in general in Namibia and this is why the #BreakFree Campaign has been launched. She said she aims to collect 100 000 signatures by November towards the #BreakFree,#Befree anti-violence initiative. Most Unam students and staff, including outgoing vice-chancellor Lazarus Hangula, yesterday signed their anti-violence pledge to help reduce violence in Namibia. According to her, their research has revealed that most women who are in prison are convicted of shoplifting, murdering their partners or assaulting their husband’s partners. However, she was quick to say, the research found that most of the female inmates killed their partners simply because they got tired of being violently abused. 2018-02-16Staff Report 2
