A disabled man identified only as Ohide on Tuesday beat his wife to death in South Sudan’s Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State.
This week alone, two women across Eastern Equatoria state lost their lives as a result of gender-based violence, the earlier case being in Ikotos County when a soldier punched his wife dead.
David Ocheng Tukwaro, Executive director of Magwi County told Radio Tamazuj yesterday, “A man killed his wife and that man happens to be disabled in one of his hands. He has children with the deceased and unfortunately lost his wife which is a setback to all of us the community of Magwi. The problem was caused by domestic issues that are known best to them, issues that could have been solved through dialogue but that person, because of drunkenness, he beat his wife to death.”
Commissioner Ocheng said gender-based violence cases seem to be rampant lately and urged authorities and concerned organizations to sensitize and create awareness among not only the people in towns but also those in rural areas.
“He will have to face the law, nobody is above the law, and they should refrain from beating. Beating is not the solution. God has given us ears to listen,” Ochieng said. “Dialogue is the best option but beating causes a lot of disability to our people and even death. It also causes trauma. People should refrain from beating, even corporal punishment in schools is prohibited. This is the message we tell them whenever we have meetings or workshops.”
The chairperson of the women association in Magwi County, Achan Lilly Robert, expressed sadness over the matter saying gender-based violence is on the rise in the area despite several awareness campaigns.
“This problem, everyday people talk but the majority don’t listen, women and men should be grouped in one place and advised. This problem is being talked about on the radio and at times to women alone is not good everybody should be involved; chiefs, stakeholders, and the people should discuss why all this is happening. It will help,” Lilly said.
The area Member of Parliament representing constituency number 27 in the Eastern Equatoria State legislative assembly, Peter Otim Karlo, said a lot needs to be done in the area to combat the domestic violence cases.
“These people need serious sensitization, gender-based violence is becoming very serious, and it needs a lot of work to be done. Too much drinking is one of the main reasons why there is this type of reckless action. Serious measures have to be taken on those culprits by giving them a very serious punishment so that they will reduce these types of acts, they need heavy punishment,” Otim said.
In February this year a 65-year-old man, Lino Ochiti, of Magwi strangled his wife, Christine Lakot, to death and later alleged she had died of excessive alcohol consumption.
While in September a 37-year-old woman called Mary Akongo chopped her husband, 47-year-old James Nunu, to death with an axe.
Last Tuesday, a 30-year-old woman Elizabeth Ikang lost her life after being beaten terribly by her husband.