Chairperson, the ACDP is not convinced that the methodology employed by the government for purposes of this 16 days of activism is effective. The question as to whether or not the 16 days of activism is the best government can do in response to the growing prevalence of abuse amongst women and children is controversial.
As the ACDP has stated in the past, it is time for government to move beyond trying to create awareness as it needs to begin solving the problem. Government must stop making excuses, such as that it is very difficult to police the crime of abuse against women and children as the majority of these incidents occur in the home, especially at the hands of the people that they love, admire, respect and trust.
This stance by government reminds me of the statement that goes: "A man who hits his wife, is a man who has run out of ideas." If government is truly interested in combating this phenomenon of violence against women and children, then we recommend that it applies the following: Impose heavier sentences for convicted abusers; provide more courts and personnel to deal specifically and swiftly with these issues; provide better training for police, better forensic services, paedophile registers and care centres; and amend destructive laws.
Additionally, government must also learn to adhere to a moral philosophy that is based upon the word of God. The ACDP guarantees that if they do, problems of this nature will decrease rather than increase.
Government must realise that anything that is a threat to the family, is a threat to society. Therefore, the ACDP advocates that steps, and not just the creation of awareness, be taken to maintain the family unit as the strongest building block of society. Furthermore, it makes no sense for government to squander taxpayers' money on rallying the public. It makes more sense for government to put resources into finding solutions, and not into celebrations, under the guise of activism. The public is fully aware of what is happening around them.
To conclude, to the nation out there, let me quote a message from the Bible, in Second Book of the Chronicles, Chapter 7, verse 14:
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
That is a promise from God. I thank you.