Taletso TVET College has on Tuesday launched a campaign aimed at addressing gender-based violence and femicide. Picture: Ntombi Nkosi
North West
1Min
South Africa
Nov 18, 2025
Taletso TVET College launched a large GBV campaign supported by SASSETA, Ramazwi Security, the Commission for Gender Equality and North West officials, calling on students and communities to unite against the crisis. Speakers urged collective action, accountability and ongoing awareness to make campuses safer and ensure victims are heard.
Taletso TVET College has on Tuesday launched a campaign aimed at addressing gender-based violence and femicide. The event was held at the Lehurutshe campus in Zeerust and brought together students, staff, government officials and partner organisations.
The college described the initiative as part of its work to contribute to national efforts to reduce the high levels of violence reported across the country. GBV and femicide is recognised as a national crisis and an epidemic. It is viewed as a violation of human rights and a threat to safety, dignity and social progress.
The campaign at Taletso TVET College was supported by the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority known as SASSETA and Ramazwi Security Services and Training Agency. The event took place ahead of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children which runs from 25 November to 10 December.
Also present at the launch were representatives from the Commission for Gender Equality and officials from the North West provincial government.
The programme of the day began with more than 1000 students gathering in the main hall. Many wore white T-shirts printed with messages calling GBV a crime. Students held placards with messages such as support for GBV victims, stop GBV, stop violence, speak out, enough is enough, action breaks silence, no longer silent, do not look away, act now, and other calls for awareness and protection. The group then took part in a peaceful march joined by college executives and members of the community.
The event was observed under the theme addressing GBV and femicide and the role of institutions of higher learning. The organisers said the theme highlights the responsibility of colleges and universities to promote values that build safer environments.
Addressing the students, Taletso TVET College chief financial officer Samuel Ramalapa spoke on behalf of the college council. He expressed appreciation to SASSETA for supporting the initiative. Ramalapa said their involvement made the campaign possible. He told the gathering, “Your commitment to building a safer community and empowering young people reflect the values we wish to instill in our students. Values of dignity, respect, equality and accountability.”
Ramalapa said GBV is not an issue limited to women but one that requires collective action across communities and institutions.
Head of academics and Infrastructure and Engineering student, Onalenna Molelekwa, who spoke on behalf of the student representative council, quoted the words of Maya Angelou saying “silence makes the perpetrator continue the abuse without accountability.” She described GBV as a term that covers violence directed at individuals based on gender identity. She told the audience that GBV affects various groups and is not restricted to women.
Molelekwa shared a personal experience. She said, “GBV is a sensitive topic for many of us. To me it is a pain that refuses to subside. I was violated and when I went to seek help my cries fell in dead ears. I was manipulated into thinking that I am the one at fault. I was manipulated to think what was done to me was right. They tried to silence me but I refused to be voiceless when I have a voice. I am going to stand up for what is right even when it is hard and now I understand why victims are scared to come out.”
She said GBV cases are common in higher education institutions including colleges and universities but many incidents are not reported. Molelekwa cited statistics indicating that 57.8 percent of students in public colleges had experienced GBV, while 56.5 percent reported verbal abuse, 46.7 percent reported sexual violence, and 36.3 percent reported physical violence.
She urged students to remember individuals who lost their lives after experiencing violence, including UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana. She said, “Stand tall and do not let your voice be muffled by the weight of doubt and disbelief. Do not let the weight of marginalisation go deaf. If the world around you is deaf know that I hear you, I see you, and I believe you. You are not alone in this fight. I am here, and I am here for you. Your truth is valid. Your voice matters, and your story deserves to be heard.”
Life coach Thumile Moyo told students that when a woman is silenced the entire nation is affected. He said a woman is killed every three hours in South Africa and noted that many victims are harmed by family members or partners. He reminded the audience of the case of Tshegofatso Pule who was eight months pregnant when she was killed by her boyfriend. Moyo said, “When we talk of GBV it is a national issue that affects families and communities. Today we gather here to stand together and commit to building a safe South Africa. It is important for all to know what consent is. Someone must understand that a no means no, a yes means no.”
Commission for Gender Equality representative Tsholofelo Sebola told the audience that no single institution can address the problem alone and that collaboration is required. Sebola said the involvement of SASSETA shows recognition that safety, security and education are linked. She said that providing knowledge to students and communities strengthens social systems that support democracy. Sebola said students are not only participants in the project but are central to its purpose.
She told the gathering, “You are the generation that can redefine gender relations, challenge patriarchy and create a culture of equality and mutual respect. When you speak up, when you stand together, and when you refuse to normalise violence, you are building the South Africa that we all dream of, which is the South Africa that is free from GBV.”
Sebola said the Commission for Gender Equality remains committed to working with Taletso TVET College and SASSETA. She said they will continue to support gender mainstreaming efforts and ensure that campuses are safe and inclusive. She added, “Let this project not be a once off event where we celebrate singing and dancing as a catalyst for continued action. Let it ignite a movement that transforms every platform, every community, into a place where equality thrives and violence has no home.”
SASSETA acting brand chairperson Eric Tshilambavhunwa acknowledged the leadership shown by the student affairs department and by Molelekwa. He said her words showed that students at the college feel protected. Tshilambavhunwa said President Cyril Ramaphosa has described GBV as the second pandemic in South Africa. He said, “Every man has a responsibility to protect a woman. A man is a protector and a provider to a woman case closed. We have become monsters who kill the very same people who we ought to protect. It is unfortunate. I am calling all men to protect women, they are innocent, vulnerable and are victims of nature.”
He referred to a recent incident near the Taletso campus in Mahikeng where a man was killed by the community after he was accused of abusing women. Tshilambavhunwa said there is an urgent need for action and thanked the college for initiating the programme. He said he hopes similar programmes will be implemented at all campuses.
Ramazwi chief executive officer Victor Ramambila said the turnout at the event exceeded his expectations and showed that the GBV message resonated widely. He said, “Our role was to bring a service provider that is going to be coaches and facilitators of this GBV campaign. It is our duty to make a difference in the lives of students and communities.”
SASSETA executive Juwayria Amod said she was pleased with the launch of the campaign. She said, “Our aim is to reach at least over 1500 students, lecturers, security officers as well as members of the community to know how to deal with GBV awareness. Awareness helps to deal with the pandemic. Awareness campaigns open people’s eyes to the issue. It helps people who are shy to be able to confront the issue and know what to do. The more we give information the more people will stand up and act against it.”
Taletso Lichtenburg campus student Micky Buthelezi said the campaign will benefit students by promoting awareness and support. He said it encourages people to refrain from abuse based on sexual orientation and to accept others for who they are. He said he hopes the college will continue to host similar campaigns and added that his campus is one where students in the LGBTQI community feel respected.
