Sunday Times threatened to be burned down for GBV article

The Sunday Times newspaper is facing threats of being burned down following an article on gender-based violence (GBV).

The article, written by senior reporter Nivashni Nair, looks at men in government have broken their promises on eradicating GBV.

SUNDAY TIMES SPEAK TO ACTIVISTS WHO PASS THE BLAME ONTO GOVERNMENT

In the article, Nair quoted several activists and experts who stated that despite government’s promises, none of them have truly come to fruition.

The article further quoted the crime statistics for the first quarter of this year. These showed that the murder of women spiked by 17.5% year on year, meaning 893 women were killed in that period.

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Rape also rose by 13.7% in the same quarter, to 10 818 reported cases.

Activists told the publication that government has failed women and children in the country as they continue to face crimes against them. Instead, leaders are paying “lip service” to the scourge of GBV and femicide.

SUNDAY TIMES AND REPORTER RECEIVE BACKLASH FOR GBV PIECE

Since the article intended to bring light to the scourge of horrendous cases of GBV, the publication and its reporter have received serious backlash.

“Today, the Sunday Times sought to shine a light on Gender-Based violence and how we have fallen short when it comes to addressing this issue. We feature a piece by one of our outstanding female journalists. The article discusses how foreigners are an easy scapegoat for our failed politicians,” the publication said on Twitter.

But instead, Sunday Times as well as their reporter have been receiving a series of threats due to the article on GBV.

“They have also threatened to come to our offices and burn them down. While we appreciate varied opinions and discussions on our content, we do not take the threats of violence lightly. We will be forwarding this to the South African Police Service.”

Sunday Times

Nair defends her work by saying the article was only to call out men who make the country unsafe.

1/3 If you read the Sunday Times this morning, you know that it's about calling out men, who make this country unsafe for women. I wrote the main story, which talks about government's broken promises on GBV.

— Nivashni Nair (@NivashniNair) August 7, 2022

Instead, she has received outrage and backlash from both men and women who put the blame on women instead of the heinous crimes.

3/3 No, the comments are from men (and women) who say women are the problem, that if women changed they would not be killed and that the media must stop "bashing men." And this is why we will never be safe.

— Nivashni Nair (@NivashniNair) August 7, 2022

“I am not shocked at the comments on social media because it’s reflective of the society we live in. People are not shocked or angry over the fact that from January to March this year, 893 women were killed or that 10 818 were raped in the three-month period.”