Women and Youth Dept says various initiatives in place to fight scourge of GBV

JOHANNESBURG - Deputy Minister for Women and Youth, Steve Letsike, said the department has launched initiatives involving various social departments to help prevent the alarming rise of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country.

Letsike was addressing the media outside the home of the murdered 14-year-old Lukhona Fose, whose body was found mutilated and left in an open veld over the weekend in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg.

Police have since launched an investigation into the matter, with a specialised task team focusing on hate crime and multi-related crimes.

Letsike reiterated the call to end GBV, citing it was the second case in recent weeks, after the body of murdered 30-year-old Olorato Mongale was also discovered.

The deputy minister called on community members to report any information regarding the grim murder of the 14-year-old to the police.

"And the perpetrators will be found. We must encourage all community members to work together. We want all society, civil society to come out. We know who did this. The open veld in the area, that’s where the lifeless body of Lukhona was found."

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