NORTH West Premier Thandi Modise has called for concerted action to help combat the increase in rapes in the province.

Modise said the partnership between the police, crime prevention structures, churches, faith-based organisations, women's organisations, non-governmental organisations and other civil society groups needed to be strengthened.

She said this would help combat the sexual offences against women and girls.

"The spate of rape incidents that we have experienced in recent weeks, particularly those involving victims that are known to perpetrators, have reached unacceptable and alarming proportions in our province and country. This points to a moral decay that needs urgent intervention before communities start taking the law into their own hands.

"We call on real men to condemn and support the call for action to end this scourge," the premier said.

She also appealed to women not to leave their daughters with strangers, visit taverns and other drinking places at night or walk alone at night.

They should also desist from accepting lifts from strangers.

The extent to which the abuse of alcohol, drugs and pornography were contributing to the scourge of rape also needed to be properly investigated, she said. -tshehleb@sowetan.co.za