EASTERN Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, used his address at the main provincial Heritage Day celebrations in Ngcobo, on September 24, to highlight what he termed ‘uncultured incidents that are worrisome in our society’.
These, according to Mabuyane, are alcohol abuse, gender-based violence and femicide, as well as death of initiates during initiation seasons.
“The level of alcohol abuse and easy accessibility of alcohol to the youth is taking our society down a dark path. Government leaders at local level, provincially and nationally, must move with speed to build sporting amenities in our black communities to take our kids away from social ills such as alcohol,” Mabuyane said.
He also lamented the recent Enyobeni tragedy, where 21 young people died at a tavern in Scenery Park, East London, as a glaring example of alcohol abuse, especially by young people.
Mabuyane also called for the return to an era where men were defenders and protectors of women and children.
“It is uncultured to abuse women and children. The levels of violence directed at women and children are unprecedented and we appeal to men to cease from being perpetrators of crime against women and children,” Mabuyane said.
He also denounced the practice of Ukuthwala [forced marriages] and cautioned those who were still practising it that they were committing a criminal offence.
“That practice, although it was done in the past, has no place in a modern democratic society where people enjoy equal rights. That is why Ukuthwala is now a criminal offence, and we warn those who continue to do it to desist from this practice,” he said.
On the death of initiates during initiation seasons, Mabuyane called for cooperation with all stakeholders involved in the practice, adding that it had become scary for parents to send their children to initiation schools due to the carnage of deaths during the passage from boyhood to manhood.
The Eastern Cape recorded 31 deaths of initiates in December last year, while a further eight lost their lives during this year’s winter initiation season in June.
As part of the Heritage Day celebrations, Mabuyane also unveiled the statues of the late Walter Sisulu and Dr Bathini Alfred Xuma to honour and immortalise their contribution to the realisation of freedom and attainment of democracy.
He also officially launched the new Dr A.B. Xuma Local Municipality, formerly known as Engcobo Local Municipality.
