Kwanele-Enuf Zero Tolerance

Kwanele's "Kwanele-Enuf Zero Tolerance" campaign aims to break the chains of silence, fear, tolerance and apathy that shroud gender-based violence; and allow it to continue unabated throughout South Africa.

The Kwanele-Enuf Foundation is campaigning against gender-based violence (GBV) in all its gruesome forms and appeals to people at large to set aside one day in the week to raise awareness of GBV and find sustainable solutions. The campaign aims to transform South Africa from the “rape capital of the world” to a safe and secure South Africa with Zero Tolerance to GBV.

"Kwanele-Enuf Zero Tolerance" campaign was launched at the Nelson Mandela Municipality University (NMMU) on 1st October 2014, followed by the University of Venda launch on 14th October 2014. Kwanele-Enuf is working in partnership with Business against Crime, Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), Higher Education South Africa (HESA), Commission for Gender Equity and chambers of business and NGOs (including People Opposing Women Abuse and Sonke Gender Justice) to bring this campaign to the nation. All other business forums and non-profit organisations are encouraged to do the same.

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The NMMU launch, where vice-chancellor Prof Swartz, urged the students, their families and the broader community to take a stand against rape and gender-based violence.

The aim of "Kwanele-Enuf Zero Tolerance" is to break the chains of silence, fear, tolerance and apathy that shroud GBV while allowing it to continue unabated throughout South Africa. Communities and organisations must all work together to address the root causes, and find ways to heal victims and realise reconciliation for our broken society. In so doing, we would also redefine society's views of GBV so that it is not tolerated at all.

The first phase will be the campaign roll–out across Universities in the country throughout 2015. The next phase will be getting business buy-in and participation and also targeting schools throughout the country in conjunction with the Department of Education. After that, we expect a groundswell and envision the whole nation participating in Kwanele-Enuf Zero Tolerance.

GBV is endemic in South Africa and has reached unprecedented proportions today. It is destroying the fabric of our society to the extent that our communities have become unsafe to inhabit and our country is known as the "Rape Capital of the World". The national "Kwanele Wednesdays" campaign could reverse this sad reality with a paradigm shift akin to the destruction of apartheid. We could make South Africa the safest country in the world within another 20 years or so!

We find courage in the late Nelson Mandela's speech at Trafalgar Square in 2005, "Make Poverty History": 'Sometimes it falls on generations to be great. You can be that generation. Let your generation blossom.' ' Let’s Make Abuse History!