- Says GBV perpetrators are weak, not strong
- Says violence against women is the worst kind of behaviour
- Urges men to develop emotional intelligence, not violence
BY MFANUFIKILE KHATHWANE
MBABANE – “You are not a man when beating a woman. You are an animal. Even animals protect their women. What are you? The issue of GBV shows you are less than an animal. It is the worse possible kind of creature in the world. But most of all, it shows that you are weak.”
Those were the powerful words of Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Senator Savannah Maziya as she strongly condemned gender-based violence (GBV), saying men who abuse women are weak and should work on themselves by developing emotional intelligence instead of resorting to violence.
Speaking during the Second Edition of the Liguma (Men Space) and Lisango (Women Space) Mental Health Awareness Event at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Mbabane Campus on July 10,2026, Maziya said GBV says more about the abuser than the victim.
“The minute you raise your voice, raise your hand and touch a woman in a violent way, that says more about you than about her. Work on yourselves. Work on your emotions. Develop your emotional intelligence,” she said.
She said men who believe beating women is part of being masculine were living in ignorance.
“There are educated people who are still ignorant. They think beating women is what men do. It is not. Gender-based violence shows you are less than an animal. It is the worst possible kind of creature in the world. Most of all, it shows that you are weak,” she said.
Senator Savannah Maziya also warned women to recognise the early signs of abusive relationships, saying violence often starts with control rather than physical assault.
She said abusive partners first isolate their victims by telling them not to work, not to keep friends and not to visit or call their families.
“They tell you, ‘Don’t work, I will provide for you. Don’t have friends. Don’t visit your family.’ They want you to have no one to talk to and nowhere to run when the abuse starts. That is how predators operate. They isolate you from everyone who can protect you before the beatings begin,” she said.
Drawing from stories she heard while visiting a shelter for abused women in South Africa, Maziya said many abusive relationships follow the same pattern.
“At first they appear loving and want to know where you are every minute of the day. Then they begin telling you which friends are bad for you and slowly cut you off from everyone. Once you are isolated, the abuse begins and you have no support system,” she said.
She called for stronger action against perpetrators, saying society should stop placing shame on victims and instead expose those responsible for abuse.
“We need a system where we name and shame the perpetrators because right now the shame is carried by the woman instead of the abuser,” she said.
Addressing young men, Maziya urged them to reject violence and redefine manhood through respect, protection and emotional maturity.
“Please develop yourselves. Violence does not make you a man. A real man protects, loves, respects and speaks up for women. Build your emotional intelligence and grow into better men,” she said.
The mental health awareness event focused on emotionally distressed fathers, the fight against addiction and gender-based violence. Speakers also raised concern that the practice of tibitendlu has prevented some people accused of GBV from facing justice.
#MentalHealthAwareness #Liguma #Lisango #UNESWA #MbabaneCampus #GBV #GenderBasedViolence #MentalHealth #AddictionAwareness #SavannahMaziya
