Phikwe Mine Closure: Unemployed Men Switch Sides In GBV

 This is a common statement from women that counsellors, police and dikgosi deal with almost everyday to save marriages of ex-BCL employees. The issue of compromised marriages, it has been revealed, has now been cascaded to involve adopted children who now side with their mothers who are breadwinners against their unemployed fathers. Some girl children are said to be claiming sexual abuse while boys on the other hand would order their mothers to chase away their unemployed spouses.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) has increased dramatically in the mining town and since the closure of the mine and the trend has shifted to women emerging as abusers. Another new trend is that some men even come out of the closet to approach the police, dikgosi and social workers for mediation in their families possibly because of the emotional abuse in their homes.  Many of the former mine employees have resorted to taking up Ipelegeng programme in large numbers just to have a little contribution towards sustaining their homes.