​Rofhiwa Marubini 
Gauteng Provincial Government has vowed to work together with the community to end the scourge of Gender-Based-Violence (GBV).
Speaking at the launch of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children at Dorothy Nyembe Park in Dobsonville Soweto, on Wednesday 25 November, Chief Director: Transformation in the Gauteng Office of the Premier, Ntombikayise Zulu, said the provincial government is committed to ending the scourge of Gender-Based Violence in Gauteng.
" Our goal is to end Gender-Based Violence and we need communities to ask themselves how they can assist us to achieve this," said Zulu.
 She added that government alone cannot put an end to the scourge, but required the assistance of communities, private sector, civil society and faith based organisations to win the war against Gender-Based-Violence.
"We need to strengthen the justice system. Members of the ommunity who have witnessed or know of incidences of abuse in the communitymust make sure that they report these crimes to assist the police and the courts. We also want to make sure that the economic empowerment of victims is institutionalised, so that they are not forced the stay in relationships that they no longer want to be in," said Zulu
Mimi Lephoko, (45) from East Rand, a GBV survivor said she urges women to support others who are in abusive relationships.
"I want to give support to all the victims who died,  may their souls rest in peace, and to those who have survived, let us continue fighting and supporting the sisters that are suffering in their relationships. Let us also intervene when others are in trouble so that we can help them," said Mimi. 
Mimi was shot three times by her husband, who later killed himself thinking that she was dead. The shooting resulted in her being paralysed from the waist down and is wheelchair bound.
"I was not born with a disability, but I survived being shot three times by my husband, who later killed himself," added Mimi.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the week of 25-29 November, the national mourning period. During this week, national flags will be flown at half-mast in remembrance of victims of COVID-19, Gender-Based Violence and femicide.
The remembrance period will also be used to encourage South Africans to play their part in the fight against Gender-Based violence and Femicide as well as COVID-19.