South Africa: Gauteng faith leaders urge respect for women and human life

Sheila Pires – Pretoria

The call came as the Gauteng Interfaith Leadership Council (GILC) gathered on Tuesday, 22 September, to respond to the deaths of nine women whose bodies were discovered in different parts of Ekurhuleni since July.

Ekurhuleni is one of the five districts of Gauteng province and one of the eight metropolitan municipalities of South Africa.

The statement by the Interfaith Leadership was read by Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Johannesburg and a member of the GILC, in the presence of representatives of several faith traditions.

At the beginning of the gathering, Cardinal Brislin named the women identified by the South African Police Service: Busisiwe Mahlangu, Itumeleng Kekana, Nomfesane Mjobo, Gracious Nkomo, Elizabeth Moselakgomo, Dineo Motapane and Jabulile Ntimba. Two other victims had not yet been publicly identified, pending notification of their families. The deaths have shocked communities across the country and intensified concern over gender-based violence and femicide.

These women are not statistics

“These women are not statistics,” the GILC statement says. “They are daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, neighbours, and beloved members of our communities.”

The council described every life lost to violence as a tragedy that diminishes the whole of humanity, declaring that gender-based violence and femicide are “a profound moral failure and a grave sin against the sanctity of human life.”

Drawing on the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the faith leaders reaffirmed the God-given dignity of every human person.

They called for the investigations to be pursued diligently and for perpetrators to be brought to justice. At the same time, the faith leaders encourage communities to assist law enforcement and religious communities to intensify efforts to educate people and challenge attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate violence against women.

Faiths working together

In an interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Brislin explained that the GILC was established because people of faith can contribute to the common good by working together.

“We have our differences and we cannot deny differences,” he said, “but the fact of the matter is that we have many common values as well.”

He said one of the council’s principal aims is to bring those shared values to bear in addressing challenges facing society.

The council brings together representatives of different Christian denominations and other faith traditions, including Muslim, Hindu and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Cardinal Brislin stressed that religious communities have an important role in confronting gender-based violence, but that the response cannot rest with faith leaders alone, it must be “a common effort, not only of faith leaders but of the whole of our society,” he told Vatican News.

Respect starts at home

During the question-and-answer session, the discussion repeatedly returned to the family and the formation of children, particularly boys. Faith leaders said that boys and young men need to be taught from an early age that violence, domination and disrespect are not expressions of masculinity.

Cardinal Brislin highlighted the role of men in mentoring boys and young men and helping them understand what responsible manhood means. He highlighted the need for fathers and positive male role models to accompany children and help form their moral conscience.

The leaders also stressed that families need support, particularly where children grow up without consistent parental care. Communities, including churches, mosques and temples, can play a significant role in mentoring young people and reinforcing the values first learned at home.

“Respect starts at home,” the discussion emphasised, with faith leaders calling for parents, schools and religious communities to work together in forming children who respect the dignity of others.

A long-term response

The GILC statement concludes by insisting that every woman’s life is “precious, sacred, and worthy of protection”.

“An injury to one is an injury to all,” the faith leaders declared. “The loss of these women is a loss to our shared humanity.”