South Africans should use the same energy they used to fight apartheid in fighting the scourge of violence against women and children.

This is according to Basetsana Khumalo‚ an elder at Rhema Bible Church in Randburg and one of the organisers of the # Not in my name campaign.

Khumalo was speaking at the church’s official launch of the campaign‚ which is an initiative of religious and civil rights groups.

 “We want to use the same energy we used to fight for HIV positive people to get antiretrovirals. We want to use the same energy we used to fight apartheid‚ to fight against violence towards women and children‚” she said.

Members of the church were dressed in black in support of the campaign. Khumalo said the colour signified mourning.

“In our culture we wear black when we mourn. The country is in mourning. The country is hurting. Lives have been taken. Women and children die. It’s a dark hour for our country. We hear about Karabo [Mokoena]‚ two weeks later we forget that something like that happened‚” said Khumalo.

“The campaign is about touching lives and is not only focusing on victims of abuse‚ but also on perpetrators. We want to give them an opportunity to be reformed.”

Khumalo said the church decided to “stand up” to fight for women and children to live in a country where they are not victimised.

“We want to live in a country where women and children are not raped and murdered.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa‚ who was at the launch‚ said men must reject the idea of women as their possessions and resist the practice of “blessers” and prostituting young women.

“In working to end violence against women and children‚ we need to ensure that men are centrally involved.

“Men need to organise themselves in a sustained campaign against gender-based violence‚” he said.

Minister of Women in the Presidency Susan Shabangu‚ who also attended the event said: “All of us need to be agents of change. It starts from how we nurture and groom our children.

“I am calling for all of us to change how we nurture our children. We need a South Africa where young women are not victims of blessers. We need a non-sexist‚ non-racial and prosperous South Africa”.

Pastor Ray McCauley called on all South Africans to be part of the “solution”.

“We must believe and see the big picture that all will work out in the end. We are making a commitment to rise up.

“Just as we don’t accept corruption‚ we won’t accept that this [violence against women and children] is normal‚” he said.

The campaign comes against the backdrop of a number of cases of women and children who have been murdered.

Eskom employee Thembisile Yende was found dead in a storeroom next to Pieterboth substation in Springs‚ where she worked. Her body was found 13 days after she had gone missing. David Ngwenya‚ who is also an Eskom employee‚ is alleged to have killed Yende.

Karabo Mokoena ‚ another victim‚ was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend‚ Sandile Mantsoe. Mantsoe is alleged to have killed and burnt Mokoena.