Gender differences in mourning the death of killed police officers: The case of Limpopo province

Abstract

Police killings have recently become a global scourge in the 21st century. This pandemic affects the social lives of the bereaved negatively; especially those women and children who have to bear the after-effects of the loss of the breadwinner in a home. This study, therefore, looks at the gendered dimensions to counselling the bereaved family members of the slain police. The researchers used the qualitative method to obtain data from the affected individuals within Limpopo Province. Data were collected on an individual basis using indepth interviews. The paper recommends that there must be a total de-construction of patriarchy in the system of counselling to level the plane field in favour of women mourners. Keywords: Bereavement, cleansing ceremony, gender, grief, loss, mourning, rituals