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Gender-based violence: ‘we can make a difference if we work together’

03 December 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Tsamayang_web read more — Tsamayang Sethunsa says women needs to be taught that they must be firm when they say no.

“Gender-based violence is everyone’s responsibility and I believe it can be reduced if we all work together, says Tsamayang Sethunsa, Crime Investigating Officer at Protection Services.

Although he considers this a difficult battle to win, there are some actions that we can take to start fighting this evil in society.

Enhance awareness campaigns

“We must continue to enhance our awareness campaigns throughout the year and not restrict it to the short period of time during the 16 Days of Activism against violence to women and children campaign. Awareness campaigns need to run on a regular basis and must become part of our daily lives.”

He adds that we need to be proactive. “In this regard, I am a firm supporter of ongoing research to enable advocacy groups, investigators, victims, and perpetrators to understand what we are dealing with and to come up with mitigation plans that will address the problem at its roots,” he says.

“I also believe a focus on the victim is a good beginning, but we do not need to forget about the perpetrator, as that is where the problem is. We need to conduct specific research where perpetrators are interviewed and assessed as to understand what made the person commit the crime. You do not wake up in the morning and decide to hurt or kill someone you are supposed to love. There must be a trigger and we need to address it through ongoing engagement with men as the common perpetrator in these crimes.”

It is all right to cry and to let the pain out

“It is also important that men are taught to speak out about challenges they face on a daily basis. Tell them it is all right to cry and to let the pain out instead of keeping things in, resulting in violent outbursts,” he adds.

Tsamayang is also of the opinion that there is a need to revisit the rehabilitation methods of correctional service centres and to determine if these methods are working.

He says the issue of repeat offenders is also a growing concern for him as an investigator.

Furthermore, he is convinced that young children need to be taught about gender-based violence from an early age. “Women also need to be taught that they must be firm when they say no, and to report any criminal activity immediately when it happens. They must also learn to protect themselves,” he says.

News Archive

UFS boasts with world class research apparatus

2005-10-20

At the launch of the diffractometer were from the left Prof Steve Basson (Chairperson: Department of Chemistry at the UFS), Prof Jannie Swarts (Unit for Physical and Macro-molecular Chemistry at the UFS Department of Chemistry), Mr Pari Antalis (from the provider of the apparatus - Bruker SA), Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS), Prof André Roodt (head of the X-ray diffraction unit at the UFS Department of Chemistry) and Prof Teuns Verschoor (Vice-Rector: Academic Operations at the UFS).

UFS boasts with world class research apparatus
The most advanced single crystal X-ray diffractometer in Africa has been installed in the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS).

“The diffractometer provides an indispensable technique to investigate compounds for medicinal application for example in breast, prostate and related bone cancer identification and therapy, currently synthesized in the Department of Chemistry. It also includes the area of homogeneous catalysis where new compounds for industrial application are synthesised and characterised and whereby SASOL and even the international petrochemical industry could benefit, especially in the current climate of increased oil prices,” said Prof Andrè Roodt, head of the X-ray diffraction unit at the UFS Department of Chemistry.

The installation of the Bruker Kappa APEX II single crystal diffractometer is part of an innovative programme of the UFS management to continue its competitive research and extend it further internationally.

“The diffractometer is the first milestone of the research funding programme for the Department of Chemistry and we are proud to be the first university in Africa to boast with such advanced apparatus. We are not standing back for any other university in the world and have already received requests for research agreements from universities such as the University of Cape Town,” said Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS.

The diffractometer is capable of accurately analysing molecules in crystalline form within a few hours and obtain the precise geometry – that on a sample only the size of a grain of sugar. It simultaneously gives the exact distance between two atoms, accurate to less than fractions of a billionth of a millimetre.

“It allows us to investigate certain processes in Bloemfontein which has been impossible in the past. We now have a technique locally by which different steps in key chemical reactions can be evaluated much more reliable, even at temperatures as low as minus 170 degrees centigrade,” said Prof Roodt.

A few years ago these analyses would have taken days or even weeks. The Department of Chemistry now has the capability to investigate chemical compounds in Bloemfontein which previously had to be shipped to other, less sophisticate sites in the RSA or overseas (for example Sweden, Russia and Canada) at significant extra costs.

Media release
Issued by:Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
19 October 2005

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