As part of the Swartland Municipality’s commitment and dedication to create awareness of gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children it is partnering with the local community through an extensive art project.
Throughout the year, local schools and organisations will contribute to a mural in Malmesbury helping to create consciousness and awareness of the prevalence of gender-based violence in Swartland communities and throughout South Africa.
The first session took place on Friday 10 March 2023, when art students from Schoonspruit Secondary School, a local high school, began painting the first section of this mural.
This wall spans the Wesbank sport field and is located in a high-traffic area, ensuring every person who drives or walks past will see the message clearly and it will signal the commitment of the entire community to ending gender-based violence.
The Executive Mayor, Harold Cleophas, was joined by various councillors on Friday in taking up their paint brushes and adding their own daubs to the project, demonstrating it’s an issue that unites the community regardless of political affiliation.
“The involvement of our learners in creating this mural and spreading this message is critically important,” he said.
“By making them aware and empowering them with knowledge and tools, will help us break the cycle of abuse.”
The mural will continue to expand as the project continues and involve more schools and organisations to help raise awareness against gender-based violence every day of the year.
This is a pilot project and similar initiatives will be rolled out in all towns of the Swartland municipal area, ensuring the message of no violence against women and children reaches every corner.
