Nthatuoa Koeshe

SHE-HIVE founder, Mamakhethe Phomane, has said witnesses who fail to report domestic violence are accomplices to the crime.

Ms Phomane said this at the recent screening of a documentary film on domestic violence titled Mollong.

The documentary by Sesotho Media was screened at Durham Link on Thursday.

In the documentary, one of the victims of abuse, Manthabiseng Lethibelane, narrates the story of the cycle of abuse she went through in her family.

Ms Lethibelane emphasised the importance of speaking out to break the chain of abuse.

The screening was also attended Child Headed Household (CHH) youths from different districts who were given tips to handle domestic abuse in the event they encountered it.

The documentary shows that Ms Lethibelane’s abuse at the hands of her husband also affected her children who also took part.

She advised victims to seek assistance for themselves and their children to stop the chain of abuse from spreading to the next generation.

Ms Phomane who is also the main character in the documentary said they realised that the abuse they went through as parents also affected their children so they decided to form another organisation called Shy Club where they work with child victims of domestic violence.

“Failing to report domestic abuse of another person is just as good as taking part in the abuse,” Ms Phomane said.

“If one sees an act of abuse of their neighbour, they should report it to people who can help,” she said, adding that abuse can be suffered at the hands of a friend or relative.

Ms Phomane further noted that there are different facilities which offer rehabilitation services for victims of abuse to help them get over the trauma.

She explained that the objective of the She-Hive association was to engage people who have experienced or are still undergoing abuse to speak out.

“The association disseminates information, educates people and helps them share experiences in order to improve the lives of domestic violence survivors. It also campaigns for behavioural change in communities, especially in families, with a view to eliminating further cases of domestic violence.”

Ms Phomane advised the youth to find places which offer similar services as She-Hive in their districts to help those experiencing domestic violence.

Sesotho Media Senior facilitator, Bohlale Sentšo, told the Sunday Express that they were eager to raise awareness on domestic violence hence the documentary.

“When we deal with such issues we usually bring a protagonist to interview so we brought the She-Hive founder to clarify these issues to this group of youths so they gain knowledge on these issues,” Mr Sentso said.

CHH coordinator, Mpho Seetane, said the youths who attended were orphans who either lived alone or with their grandparents.

“We always tell them about these organisations and how they can get help from them so today was really helpful as they gained a lot of knowledge and got a chance to meet these people,” Ms Seetane said.