Constructions of intimate partner femicide in the national strategic plan on gender-based violence and femicide and associated scholarship: a decolonial analysis

Abstract

The National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF-NSP) is the most recent and most prominent national-level effort to address femicide in South Africa. Published in 2020, the GBVF-NSP seeks to guide government responses to gendered violence. To date, there has not been a sustained analysis of the GBVF-NSP and its impact. Assuming a decolonial feminist framework and adopting thematic analysis and document analysis as a two-step analytic process, this study aimed to examine thematic constructions of intimate partner femicide within the GBVF-NSP and the academic literature published since the GBVF-NSP’s inception. It was found that although data sources sporadically pushed back against colonial logics, an individualising approach was by-and-large adhered to which unwittingly reproduced the logic of the colonial difference. Accordingly, several policy, grassroots, and pedagogical recommendations are suggested which make central the backdrop of coloniality in how we seek to address gendered violence in South Africa.

Leano la Togamaano la Bosetšhaba ka ga Dikgaruru tše di Theilwego go Bong le Polao ya Basadi (GBVF-NSP) ke maitapišo a moragorago le a go tšwelela kudu a maemo a bosetšhaba a go rarolla polao ya basadi ka Afrika Borwa. E phatlaladitšwe ka 2020, GBVF-NSP e nyaka go hlahla dikarabelo tša mmušo go dikgaruru tša bong. Go fihla ga bjale, ga se gwa ba le tshekatsheko ye e swarelelago ya GBVF-NSP le khuetšo ya yona. Ka go tšea gore ke tlhako ya bofeminisi ya go tloša bokoloniale le go amogela tshekatsheko ya sererwa le tshekatsheko ya ditokomane bjalo ka tshepedišo ya tshekatsheko ya magato a mabedi, nyakišišo ye e be e ikemišeditše go hlahloba dikago tša morero tša polao ya basadi ya molekane wa kgauswi ka gare ga GBVF-NSP le dingwalo tša thuto tšeo di phatlaladitšwego go tloga mola GBVF-NSP e hlongwago. Go hweditšwe gore le ge methopo ya datha e be e kgoromeletša morago ka dinako tše dingwe kgahlanong le ditlhaologanyo tša bokoloniale, mokgwa wa go dira gore motho e be motho ka o tee ka o tee o ile wa kgomarela ka bogolo woo ka go se lemoge o tšweleditšego gape tlhaologanyo ya phapano ya bokoloniale. Ka go realo, ditšhišinyo tše mmalwa tša pholisi, tša metheo, le tša thuto di šišinywa tšeo di dirago gore bogareng e be lefelo la morago la bokoloniale ka fao re nyakago go rarolla dikgaruru tša bong ka Afrika Borwa.

UHlelo Lwesu Lukazwelonke Lokulwa Nodlame Olusekelwe Ngokobulili Nokubulawa Kwabesifazane (i-GBVF-NSP) wumzamo wakamuva futhi ogqame kakhulu wezinga likazwelonke wokubhekana nokubulawa kwabesifazane eNingizimu Afrika. Ishicilelwe ngo-2020, i-GBVF-NSP ifuna ukuqondisa izimpendulo zikahulumeni odlameni lobulili. Kuze kube manje, akukabikho ukuhlaziywa okuqhubekayo kwe-GBVF-NSP kanye nomthelela wayo. Ngokuthatha uhlaka lwe-decolonial feminist nokwamukela ukuhlaziywa kwesihloko kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo njengenqubo yokuhlaziya enezinyathelo ezimbili, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuhlola ukwakhiwa okunesihloko kokubulawa kwabesifazane abasondelene naye ngaphakathi kwe-GBVF-NSP kanye nemibhalo yezemfundo eshicilelwe kusukela kwasungulwa i-GBVF-NSP. Kutholwe ukuthi nakuba imithombo yedatha ihlehla kancane kancane ekuphikisaneni nemibono yamakholoni, indlela yokwenza umuntu ngamunye yalandelwa kakhulu okwaveza kabusha umqondo womehluko wekoloni ngokungazi. Ngokunjalo, kuphakanyiswa izincomo ezimbalwa zenqubomgomo, emazingeni aphansi, kanye nezokufundisa ezenza umgogodla wobukoloniyali ngendlela esifuna ukubhekana ngayo nodlame lobulili eNingizimu Afrika.