Poster risks silencing allies

When Michelle held her “All Men Should Die” poster at the gender-based violence (GBV) protest at the University of the Free State, the necrophiliacs were thrilled.

- RICHARD CHEMALY

The rest of the population may have raised an eyebrow and some may have felt angered at more than just the Game of Thrones misquote.

As a man, I'd be keen to help end GBV, but the reality is that I'd have to be alive to do anything. Wishing me dead may be a passive help, were I a promoter of GBV. Though if we're going to that extent of killing a gender to end GBV, we could just as well rid ourselves of all but one race to end racism.

And the problem is indeed a big one. It’s understandable why women are at this level of anger.

Being in South Africa is dangerous and, though the murder rate is proportionally higher for men than women when compared to the rest of the world, it's not just murder that's the problem.

The problem involves many forms of violence and if the help of men is sought, perhaps calling for their deaths is not the way to go.