In recognition of international 16 Days of Activism for no violence against Women and Children, SAB and the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison will once again commit to fighting against this violent trend by handing over a shelter to the woman of Mmametlhake in Mpumalanga.
At the handover of the shelter in Mmametlhake on 2 December 2022, SAB demonstrated its support to confronting these challenges by leveraging its partnerships with government departments, NGOs and other stakeholders to assist with some of these societal challenges.
Communities and Social Impact Director at SAB, Heidi Bartis says, “For us, this shelter is an important step towards supporting, empowering, and protecting women, who are sadly among the most vulnerable in society. We will continue to prioritise the provision of assistance to women who have been victims of GBV.”
The shelter first opened its doors in 2010 and continues to support women and children who have been victims of GBV. The victim empowerment shelter supports and empowers women across Mmametlhake, Vaalbank and Siyabuswa. In September 2022, SAB gifted the shelter with upgrading and refurbishment of their facilities.
“SAB wants to be part of the solution and assist in solving societal challenges. As a result, we will continue to offer our support to women who are at risk in hotspot areas says Bartis.
SAB solidifies its commitment to fighting GBV through its evidence-based responsibility platform SAB Sharp, which enables SAB to run interventions to accelerate the fight against the irresponsible consumption of alcohol at scale and with pace by leveraging partnerships with government, communities, civil society, retailers, tavern owners and media agencies.
The launch of this shelter echoes the efforts of SAB brands like Carling Black Label, which also runs the famous #NoExcuse initiative which leverages of a key partnership with Father a Nation (FAN), a non-profit organisation which address GBV, crime and fatherlessness by restoring and equipping men to be nation-builders and role models. With the help of FAN, SAB was able to launch a WhatsApp based helpline for victims and perpetrators to seek help from counsellors or mentors.
“We recognise that GBV is a widespread problem, affecting numerous women and children in South Africa and we will continue to fight this social ill. The revamping of this shelter in Mpumalanga, together with all other SAB initiatives, we can actually make a tangible difference and end the scourge of GBV in our beautiful country,” she concludes.
Community Safety, Security and Liaison Acting Chief Director for Civilian Secretariat says these are the kind of partnerships that government requires time to time.
“The private business community are very important in government programmes. We cannot reach everywhere due to our limited budget. It is in this regard that we always lobby support from the business sector. We are very appreciative for the support we are receiving from SAB. Our communities should know that SAB does not only sell alcohol to people but are very much concerned about the wellbeing of communities. We believe that this is only the beginning, more programmes will still be identified and supported through the assistance of SAB,” he says.
Meanwhile a Victim Friendly Facility (VFF) was also handed over to Mmametlhake Police Station. The purpose of the VFF is to temporarily provide shelter to victims of GBV and also to ensure privacy when they open cases to prevent secondary vicimisation.
