Springboks captain Siya Kolisi recently made a raw and emotional appeal to South African men to band together and confront gender-based violence following the current East Rand killings.
Kolisi, along with The Naked DJ, issues a call to action to men, saying now is the time to do rather than talk.
Also see: “He should never have been dropped”: Fans relieved as Siya Kolisi returns to lead Springboks
“Now I’m asking us as men to stand up”
Kolisi shared a video on his Instagram page, speaking to South Africans. He shared his deepest condolences to the families that lost a loved one and extended his condolences to the families of the victims that haven’t made the news or headlines.
Whilst pleading with South Africans to unite against Gender Based violence, the rugby player acknowledges how frequent violence against women has been: “It’s been going on for far too long. It’s been going on for so many years, and it’s an everyday thing.”
In his message, he encouraged other sports teams to speak up against this ongoing crisis, acknowledging that whenever they need support from South Africans, they are offered support in abundance, and how significant it would be should they use their platforms to condemn violence against women.
Perhaps the most significant part of his message was his message to men in the country:
“We need to acknowledge and accept that we are the problem here and we need help — and we need help urgently. Without us getting help, this is going to keep on continuing.”
He urged all men with large platforms, such as podcasts, as an example, to speak up. “Bringing awareness is not the only thing that we can do. How can we bring other people into the space that can help us?”
Also see: Silent influencers spark internet debate amid GBV awareness
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Ask A Man on making a change
The Springboks captain is not the only prominent male figure calling for action to be taken against the frequent violence against women. The Ask A Man presenters on Metro FM took a moment during the show to acknowledge the need for action.
The Naked DJ referenced a heightened state of violence in the country during the State of Emergency.
“People were out in the streets because they wanted to make a change,” he said, urging South Africans to mobilise.
Both the DJ and Somizi Mhlongo condemned the violence against women that has been ongoing in the country.
@metrofmsa Today’s #AskAMan was a little bit different we had a conversation about South Africa’s femicide crisis, GBV and our state of fear to do things that should be ordinary but are still resulting in multiple women losing their lives everyday #Breakawaywithkhutsotheledi ♬ original sound – METROFMSA
Also see: SA celebrities speak out against GBV amid Kempton Park killings
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