Durban - In light of numerous gender-based violence incidents across the country, the ANC Youth League said that men needed to own up to being perpetrators of violence against women and children and understand that they do not own women.
The league on Tuesday embarked on a march and candle lighting ceremony against the abuse, rape and killing of women.
ANCYL KZN Deputy Chairperson, Sibonelo Mtshali, said that men who abused, raped and killed women and children were not human beings and instead were animals.
"We are taking a stand because we want to call on the conscience of all the men to understand women are not objects, women are human beings who ought to be loved and protected and that is why we are saying 'not in our name'.
"That is why we're calling on government to swiftly move with this particular issue to make sure that when women go to police stations to open rape cases they are given the necessary attention by ensuring that the perpetrators are arrested on the same day so that these women can go home knowing that these animals are behind bars," said Mtshali.
He said that this swift action would also enable women to undergo the necessary counselling that they need while also sending a clear message to anyone thinking of abusing, raping and killing women that they will not get to commit such crimes and still sleep in their beds at home.
He also added that it was vital for subjects to be introduced in schools that conscientise young boys to understand that they do not control women and to understand their role in society.
The march was expected to end at the Durban City Hall where the league's leaders will hand over a memorandum of their demands to the leaders of the council.