Stark Evidence of Women Dying At The Hands of Men - Comments by Ps Ray McCauley

We would be a better society and better world if out of the Oscar Pistorious trial - whatever the verdict - we emerge with a heightened consciousness of intimate femicide and a greater resolve to confront the problem.

Too many women are dying at the hands of their intimate partners. We do not know whether Oscar deliberately killed Reeva Steenkamp or not. The court is yet to establish the facts in this regard.

But what we do know is that Reeva died at the hands of her partner. Sadly, she is not the first one and may not be the last woman to suffer such fate. Zanele Khumalo who, like Reeva, was a young model with a bright future was murdered by her boyfriend Thato Kutumela in April 2011.

Thato's case was reportedly being heard just next door to Oscar's. He has already been found guilty and will be back in court later this month for sentencing. It is disturbing that Zanele's case has not received as much media interest as Reeva's. Both were models and the only distinction between them was their pigmentation.

Of course, in Reeva's case there is Oscar who is no ordinary athlete. His success and icon status on the racing field spite of his physical disability, has ensured the cameras turn in the direction of his trial.

Be that as it may, it does leave a sour taste in the mouth to see how the two cases are being played out both in the media and in the public domain. The one has seen acres of media space and plenty of broadcast time being dedicated to it while the other is almost invisible.

It did not help that women's organizations and female politicians have been more vocal on the Oscar case. We should be careful not to give much more weight to one life than we do on another.

The pain and agony both the Khumalos and Steemkamps are feeling is the same? I was touched to read in another local newspaper that Zanele's mother, Busy Khumalo, had expressed a wish to reach out to Reeva's mother, saying: "I feel her pain. If I could, I would sit next to her, hold her hand tell her I understand.

Our pain is so similar." Ms. Khumalo, for me, embodies a true human spirit and one that knows no colour bar. Even in her own pain as a mother who has lost a daughter, she is thinking about the pain of Reeva's mother, June Steenkamp. There is a lesson there for all of us on how we should relate to pain and the grief of others. My prayers go out to the two moms.

It will be to the eternal legacy of Reeva and Zanele if out of their tragic deaths we can see efforts to reduce and elimate femicide being intensified. The Medical Research Council has released a study that shows in every eight hours in our country a woman falls victim to femicide.

This is a crisis and it requires joint efforts by Parliament, government, law enforcers, the education sector, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. We have to find a solution to the problem of men killing women who are close to them. In the space in which I operate, we have a lot of education to do.

A patriarchal interpretation of holy texts has resulted in some seeing women as "possessions" to be owned and stoned when the men decide they (the women gave misbehaved). Indeed, we still have some men who invoke religion, custom and tradition to justify violence against women.

Religious institutions are an integral part of most communities and can be used to educate and sensitize boys and grown- up men about gender-based violence. Then there is the issue of law enforcement. Femicide must be made a priority crime and sufficient resources allocated to deal with it.

I have heard of stories about femicide cases not being properly investigated or reported. The South African Police Service must be given sufficient capacity to investigate so as to ensure a higher conviction rate. But this will also require the justice system to play its role.

In the recent past, we have read or heard a number of stories about policemen using their service firearms to wipe out their own families and turn the gun on themselves. This is not confined to the police service but extends to ordinary citizens who may be owning guns.

This raises the issue of gun access and control in our country. We need tighter laws in this area. As we close the second decade of our freedom and democracy, it is a blot on our record that women continue to die in country at the hands of their intimate partners. Society must draw the line and declare: this far and no further.