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19 September 2022 | Story André Damons | Photo André Damons
Sithembiso Ndlovu
Sithembiso Ndlovu is a lecturer in the Dean’s Office, Faculty of Health Sciences who recently completed his research into the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on gender-based violence (GBV) among women.

A lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences hopes his research into the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on gender-based violence (GBV) among women, could assist the victims and especially government and organisations to address this evil post-COVID-19. 

Sithembiso Ndlovu, a Public Health Lecturer in the Division of Public Health, Office of the Dean of Health Sciences, says this research was a narrative review paper which aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on GBV among women since there is inadequate established literature on this topic, particularly in South Africa. The focus was on intimate partner violence.

He started working on the review in February 2021 and finished in August the same year where after the paper was published by the African Journal of Reproductive Health (AJRH) in July 2022. He says he believes his research aligns with the UFS narrative of creating opportunities and growth through leading, learning and teaching, focused research, and impactful engagement with society given the quality of the research that his review upholds. 

Looking at the state and impact of GBV

Says Ndlovu: “I believe my research will be impactful in academia and in the lives of women who experienced GBV during lockdown. The study will also be impactful to women who will experience GBV in the future through recommended interventions, which I believe government departments and various GBV-oriented organisations can adopt to curb the increase in GBV cases in the country post-COVID-19 pandemic. 

”All in all, the research expresses the notion of care for the well-being of South African women who are voiceless or powerless and thus creates an opportunity for them to be able to seek help.”

The researcher says he wanted to look at the state and impact of GBV among women during the pandemic in the South African context and lay a foundation for prospective interventions to mitigate the increase of GBV cases during the lockdown. He envisages government departments and local organisations that deal with issues relating to GBV to consider the proposed interventions. 

“Also, it remains vital to engage men on the importance of GBV and the role they can play in decreasing the prevalence of this second pandemic after the COVID-19 as President Cyril Ramaphosa noted,” says Ndlovu.

According to him, without proper and accessible support, there will always be an increased risk of victimisation, even in households where there was no violence before the lockdown. Multipronged and all-inclusive intervention strategies are needed to address the prevalence of GBV cases effectively and sufficiently in South Africa. 

What does the research show? 

Ndlovu says the research found that there are multiple factors that contributed to the surge in GBV cases in South Africa, including alcohol availability and consumption, job losses, financial dependence, psychological distress, and emotional imbalances during the lockdown. During the restrictive lockdown, women were more exposed to the aggressors at home, where varying hostile power dynamics prevail, leaving the victims with limited opportunity to find any potential help and support due to limited mobility.

“When I was drafting the paper, there was limited literature on GBV during COVID-19 and comparing and contrasting statistics between the two periods was challenging. At the start of lockdown in March 2020, 87 000 cases of GBV and interpersonal violence were reported, a significant increase compared to pre-COVID-19. 

“However, the reports did not specify the type of interpersonal violence, and GBV reported or the gender of the aggressor although it has been widely reported that male partners perpetrate most IPV.” 

Interventions

Ndlovu wrote in the research article that key intervention strategies in combating GBV and ensuring that victims are supported adequately include dialogues and interventions around high-level communication and behaviour change programmes, prioritisation of reported cases, and developing interventions tailored to respond to the economically vulnerable circumstances women encounter. 

“There should be an emergency strengthening of the support systems that could be utilised by women experiencing violence and who are planning to escape the violent environment during regulated lockdown curfew periods in South Africa.

“Interventions should also include denormalising violence against women by their male counterparts and men in general. This could be implemented through educational programmes in communities, including schools where violence is prevalent. In this regard, an evaluation study on a school violence programme in Tshwane found that the programme increased positive knowledge of violence and attitudes toward violence. The recommended services must also be offered in all South African official languages to ensure that information is received and understood extensively,” he wrote. 

GBV-related programmes need to be prioritised in every sector and government department. This would necessitate realistic measures and activities to ensure impact. Governments must collaborate with various organisations to derive interventions by eliminating factors contributing to a surge in GBV cases. 

News Archive

Verslag: SA studente atletiek (Afrikaans)
2005-04-28

Absa-kovsieatletiek
SA studente atletiekkampioenskap - 22 en 23 April 2005 Johannesburg Universiteit

 

Weereens baie goed!!! Dit is hoe ons die Kovsieatlete se vertonings op en af van die baan af kan beskryf. Die 22 medaljes vanjaar teenoor die 25 van 2004, die 14 van 2003 en die 10 van 2002 spreek boekdele, veral as ons in ag neem dat ons in die laaste week 4 van ons top atlete weens beserings verloor het (Antonie Rossouw, Nico Oosthuizen, Jaco Claasen en Renè Kalmer).

Ons het op 20 April om 09:00 vanaf Pelliespark per bus na Johannesburg vertrek en tuisgegaan in die Randburg Road Lodge hotel.

'n Totaal van 43 atlete – 18 vroue en 25 mans het die Kovsies verteenwoordig (spanlys aangeheg).

Die bestuurspan het bestaan uit Danie Cronjé bestuurder mans, Sarina Cronjé bestuurder vroue, Bertus Pretorius afrigter mans, Ans Botha afrigter vroue, Hendrik Cronjé (Video), Jan du Toit, Sidney van Biljon, DB Prinsloo sportbestuurder.

Die mediese span het bestaan uit Dr. Org Strauss en Daleen Lamprecht(bio).

Die volgende lede van die ABSA KOVSIESPAN het medaljes verwerf.

GOUD    
     
Jan vd Merwe  400   46,37
     
Johan Cronjé    1500 mans   3:50.20
     
Boy Soke  10000   30:23,40
     
Charlene Henning   Driesprong vroue  12.62m
     
Francois Potgieter      Tienkamp  6862 punte
     
Magdel Venter    Diskusgooi vroue     46.94m
     
Kovsiespan mans   4x400 Aflos  3:10,17
     
(Dirk Roets, Francois Lötter, Johan Cronjé, Jan van der Merwe)
     
     
SILWER    
     
Charlene Henning  Verspring vroue    6,16m
     
Magdel Venter  Gewigstoot vroue  13,21m
     
Sanè du Preez   Hamergooi vroue     44,71m
     
Boy Soke     5000m    14:36,60
     
Francois Potgieter  110 Hekkies mans    14,00sek
     
Christine Kalmer  1500m vroue    4:35,40
     
Cobus Marais    3000m hindernis   9:32,80
     
     
BRONS    
     
Gustav Kukkuk     110 Hekkies mans    14.00sek
     
Mariana Banting    Driesprong vroue  12.36m
     
Helen-Joan Lombaard   Sewekamp vroue    3354 punte
     
Clive Wessels   Paalspring   4,05m
     
Johan Cronjé  800m  1:52,01
     
Kovsiespan vroue   4x100 Aflos    47,56
     
(Denise Polson, Elmie Hugo, Carlene Henning, Minette Albertse)
     
Kovsiespan mans    4x100 Aflos   42,21
     
( Tiaan Pretorius, Gustav Kukkuk, Marno Meyer, Wiaan Kriel)
     
     
Kovsies wat ook onder die eerste 8 geëindig het sien as volg daaruit:
     
     
4de Plek    
     
Mariana Banting   Hoogspring vroue  1.70m
     
Stefan van Heerden   Driesprong  15,12m
     
Elmie Hugo   200m   24,12sek
     
Ronè Reynecke     400m  57,31sek
     
     
5de Plek    
     
Jackie Kriel    100 Hekkies    13,90sek
     
Jackie Kriel     400 Hekkies   65,40sek
     
Riana Rossouw    Gewigstoot    10,59m   
     
Kenny Jooste   Verspring   7,23m
     
Elmie Hugo    100m  11,86sek
     
Helen-Joan Lombard  Paalspring    3,25m
     
Ronè Reynecke     800m   2:17,58
     
Christine Kalmer   5000m      17:38,32
     
     
6de Plek    
     
Tiaan Pretorius  Verspring   7,21m
     
Francois Pretorius    800m     1:52,67
     
Riana Rossouw   Spiesgooi      38,12m
     
Kovsiespan vroue   4x400 Aflos  4:06,56
     
(Ronè Reynecke, Denise Polson, Lise du Toit, Elmie Hugo)
     
     
7de Plek    
     
Gerda Rust    Hamergooi   36,37m
     
Schalk Roestoff     1500m      3:55,80
     
Francois Lotter    400m       47,94
     
Pienaar j v Rensburg    10000m   32:12,21
     
Kovsie mans  ”A”  en  B span  4x400     3:15,44
     
     
8ste Plek    
     
Charles le Roux   Verspring   7,06m
     
Tiaan Pretorius  Driesprong  14,06m

In die spankompetisie het die Vroue 4de geëindig en die mans 4de. In die algehele kompetisie het die Kovsies ook die 4de plek behaal (aangeheg).

Die gees en gedrag van die toergroep was uitstekend en was die atlete goeie ambassadeurs vir die Kovsies.

Danie Cronjé     Sarina Cronjé
Spanbestuurder  Mans   Spanbestuurder Vroue

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