"Expose [the] bastards who abuse you." Gauteng MEC for community safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane used such strong language addressing dozens of women gathered at a gender-based violence dialogue in Pretoria on Monday.

The dialogue at the Saint George's Hotel followed Nkosi-Malobane's interaction with young women from the entertainment industry to find creative ways to address the scourge of gender-based violence.

The MEC encouraged the young women to record abusers and expose them, clearly bouyed by the action taken by music star Babes Wodumo who recorded her abuse by lover Mampintsha, also a musician.

"I don't care if you are Mduduzi Manana or Mapinja(that's how she pronounced Mampintsha)… I will challenge you," said Nkosi-Malobane.

She also warned women not to "sugar coat" abuse.

"For us to deal with gender-based violence is to be as honest as possible. As long as we have women defending abusers of other women we will not win this war."