{"id":5372,"date":"2025-12-12T13:29:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T11:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dpsa.gov.za\/thepublicservant\/?p=5372"},"modified":"2025-12-12T13:29:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T11:29:23","slug":"let-there-be-no-sudden-flashes-of-domestic-violence-during-the-festive-season-dm-kekana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dpsa.gov.za\/thepublicservant\/2025\/12\/12\/let-there-be-no-sudden-flashes-of-domestic-violence-during-the-festive-season-dm-kekana\/","title":{"rendered":"Let there be no sudden flashes of domestic violence during the festive season-DM Kekana"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Public Service and Administration Deputy Minister, Ms Pinky Kekana urged South Africans not to turn a blind eye to domestic violence directed at women, children and the vulnerable during the festive season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the virtual platform of the departmental 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Deputy Minister Kekana said the festive season itself does not cause violence, but family violence rates increase during the festive season due to factors such as alcohol abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs we approach the festive season, we must also be honest about patterns\u2026 alcohol misuse, heightened tensions, economic stress and social gatherings too often coincide with spikes in violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe festive season should not be an excuse; it is a warning light. I urge every one of us to be ambassadors of safety – in our homes, in our extended families, in our communities, in our public spaces. Celebrate responsibly. Intervene safely. Protect the vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must also listen – to survivors, to community leaders, to civil society. Solutions must be co-designed with those who carry the burden of this violence. Consultation without action is cruelty in slow motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet us commit to a culture of measurable change. Targets, timelines, transparent reporting, and consequences for failure are not bureaucratic luxuries – they are tools to save lives. We cannot allow good intentions to become a cover for inertia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is bravery in showing up for this work. It requires uncomfortable conversations, painful reforms, and persistent courage. But courage is contagious. Let us infect our workplaces and communities with it. Let us choose compassion over conflict. Let us choose dignity over dominance. Let us choose life, respect and humanity over violence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Deputy Minister, when public servants act with dignity, fairness and zero tolerance for abuse, they reset social norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen leaders stay silent or look away, we send the opposite message. Let ourbehaviour be the benchmark for the nation we are trying to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI call on every public servant here today: carry this commitment into your offices, your homes, and your conversations. Be the public servants the country needs – accountable, courageous and relentless in pursuit of safety for women and children,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DPSA launched the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign last month on 25 November 2025, with a particular focus on domestic violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy Minister Kekana said the reality facing the nation is that the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) cannot be confined to a calendar, adding that it is a daily fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor far too many of our sisters, mothers, daughters and even some of our nation\u2019s sons – home is not refuge, but risk. The perpetrators are often people known and trusted: partners, relatives, neighbours, colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat reality strips away the illusion that violence is somebody else\u2019s problem. It is our problem and our responsibility,\u201d said adding that this year\u2019s theme -\u201cLetsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls working together to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide\u201d summons an unvarnished truth that the nation cannot end the crisis if part of the population stands on the sidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her own words, Letsema calls for collective labour, shared responsibility, and the active reshaping of what it means to be a man in our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the millions of decent men who reject violence she said: \u201cwe need you not only to say, \u201cnot in my name,\u201d but to say, \u201cnot on my watch\u2026silence is not neutrality – silence is complicity\u2026speak up, intervene. Teach your brothers, sons and your \u2018boys,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To public servants, her message was clear: \u201cyour role is unique, and your duty is clear. When the President (Cyril Ramaphosa) declared GBVF a national disaster, he put a spotlight on the scale of harm and on our obligation to respond with the resources, resolve and coordination that a national disaster demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat declaration must mean more than symbolism – it must translate into relentless implementation, measurable outcomes and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What public servants must do now:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n