In the wake of protests around Cape Town against gender-based violence on Thursday, Absa acting CEO René van Wyk has called on his male staff to take responsibility for the plight of South African women.
Calls for action from leaders have been made in the wake of the rape and murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana, a University of Cape Town student, and the murder of a young boxing champion, Leighandre “Baby Lee” Jegels.
In an internal note to staff seen by Business Day, Van Wyk said: “I am a husband and father to three daughters. It is very difficult for me to wonder about the different levels and types of discrimination they experience when they leave home. I am sure many colleagues have the same fear and concern for their own children and friends.
“I want to appeal to all male colleagues to make the effort to understand what many of our women colleagues live with, and to do whatever they can to provide the support, and set an example to build a society that is safe for everyone,” he said.
The note comes as several thousand protesters marched to parliament on Thursday to present a memorandum to president Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for an end to gender-based violence.
“This is not an issue for women to deal with alone. We all have a responsibility,” Van Wyk said.
Van Wyk also criticised the violence against foreign nationals in Gauteng over the past two weeks, which has seen the looting of businesses and attacks on people.
“As a South African, I am sorry that this is happening in our country, and I appeal to all SA colleagues to spread a message of tolerance and good neighbourly relations to all our friends within and outside Absa,” he said.
He said the attacks came as the economy struggles to grow.
“In many cases this is directed at fellow Africans who aren’t SA nationals. It is unacceptable. It goes against SA’s constitutional values and our own values as an organisation,” Van Wyk said.
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