There is a slight irony in Oscar Pistorius being officially granted parole on Friday, the eve of the 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence.
Pistorius was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. On release he will have spent nine years and one month behind bars.
The Paralympian has served his time.
The parole board has done things by the book. Pistorius has met all the requirements for release and will have to abide by strict criteria when he is freed on January 5. This is South Africa’s justice system at work.
His release will certainly be the subject of controversy. Was justice fully served? How many years in prison is a life worth? Would 25 years not have been more fitting, or is less than a decade behind bars sufficient punishment?
Ultimately though, the broader focus should be on reducing and ultimately stopping gender-based crimes.
Despite new laws, loud voices and bigger promises, gender-based violence shows no sign of abating in South Africa. Latest police statistics show that 881 women were killed and 10,516 raped between July and September this year.
How do we stop this cycle of depraved violence?
The government is mostly playing its part in terms of legislation, but falls short when it comes to policing and prosecution. Also, better data, working street lights and a regular power supply would help.
But the answer lies more in the psyche of the South African male.
No boy is born an abuser. That is the motto of the nonprofit organisation Father A Nation, which is working hard to change the mindset of South African men, taking their programmes into schools, taverns, sports clubs and workplaces to reinforce the notion of positive masculinity.
We need more organisations like this. And we need their message on every billboard, TV screen and blackboard across the country. It takes an army. So let our actions speak louder than words during this year’s 16 Days — and every day after that as we fight to eradicate this scourge that has no place in our democracy.
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