A High Court judge has urged the Minister of Health to step up warning labels on alcohol, highlighting its troubling link to gender-based violence (GBV).
Judge Avinash Govindjee, presiding in the Makhanda High Court, expressed his concerns while sentencing two men for the brutal murders of their partners, both cases involving alcohol. He’s even taken the unusual step of sending copies of his judgments to the minister, hoping for action.
In one case, Mthutuzeli Manyathi was sentenced to 28 years after attacking his partner twice, first with a broken brandy bottle, and later by beating and strangling her to death. In another, a man was jailed for 24 years after fatally assaulting his wife while she breastfed their baby. Both incidents were fuelled by alcohol and accusations of infidelity.
Judge Govindjee pointed to alarming statistics stating that in South Africa, nearly three women are killed by their partners every day. He noted that alcohol frequently plays a role in such crimes, making its dangers hard to ignore.
While current alcohol warning labels mention violence, the judge argued they fail to specifically highlight the link to GBV. What’s more, only one of seven possible warnings must appear on a label and in a space no bigger than an eighth of the packaging. Hardly eye-catching.
With GBV at crisis levels, the judge believes this issue deserves serious attention. The question now is: will the minister listen?
You can read the full judgements from Judge Govindjee here:
Written by Theo Tembo
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