The Mpumalanga African National Congress (ANC) on Saturday led a march against gender-based violence (GBV), following the recent spate of violent attacks on women in the province and around the country.

Acting provincial chairperson Mandla Ndlovu led the march.

"As Mpumalanga ANC we are saddened by the abuse reports we wake up to every day on radio and television. We are marching today because we are also supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa's action plan initiative against GBV. There has been a number of GBV cases reported to us from this place and there was a felt need to host the march here as a way of, a cry to so say enough is enough," said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu addressed the marchers saying the ANC’s Freedom Charter called for women and children to be totally emancipated.

“Let us make it our responsibility that we teach people in our communities every day about how much a scourge gender-based violence is; if we do this, the escalating number of abuse cases will drop,” said Ndlovu.

He said everybody, including children, should learn and understand how GBV threatens the future of families and communities.

He cautioned young boys not to copy behaviour associated with abuse.

We need to break the cycle of abuse in our households or we are creating monsters [in] our society, because the children raised in such families later translate the behaviour upon their wives and kids,” Ndlovu said.

He also cautioned women not to succumb to abuse due to poverty.

“Women should know their worth and not allow abusive men to take advantage of them just because they are poor. Poverty should not take you to the grave and for that, when you start spotting abuse in your relationship, you need to have the courage to leave to potentially save your life,” Ndlovu said.

While women were the focus of GBV, Ndlovu also pointed out that it would not do well to assume that it was only women and children who undergo GBV and highlighted the reality of abuse against men.

He also went on to condemn pastors and traditional healers who abuse women and children.

“It is a shock that one never gets used to, finding out that a pastor has molested a child or is going around committing statutory rape of teenagers who are not even in their years of making sound decisions. The same goes for pastors who take advantage of women who go to them, desperately seeking help,” said Ndlovu.

He said the Mpumalanga ANC will continue to campaign against GBV throughout the province and urged communities to also do the same.