EDITOR – What is Happening in South Africa?
Our country has always been a mess (which is not acceptable) but what has been [happening] lately surely does prove that black women are truly on their own. It is highly disappointing that it took the brutal murder of a 19-year old student to have people stand up to Gender Based Violence. In the midst of the country getting news that a missing person was found lifeless, the numbers of women being killed by men increases every day and on the other hand South Africans are oppressing people from the neighbouring countries simply because they are ‘foreign’.
This is not the South Africa the likes of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Veronica Sobukwe, Albertina Sisulu and the many powerful women fought for. Men are the root of all evil, if they are not practising Patriarchy and Misogyny, they are killing women for simply existing. We live in the 21st century but women are still being dehumanized by men and the fact that matters like GBV are never taken seriously by society and leaders, further also proves that oppression was created by men.
University students marched to Parliament in Cape Town last week to get a response from the government after the cries and pain fell on closed ears, but the police arrested them and further used violence on them. The people who are meant to protect are the ones who are not to be trusted. Many women who were involved in the march went onto Twitter to open up about being harassed by police sexually. How can the government be quiet during such an emergency? How are police harassing women when they are meant to protect?
The Justice system and the constitution of this country are failing women, we cannot be crying out every day to the president just to be ignored. Why is it that rapists, abusers and murderers’ cases are not given attention like racial controversies? Our country’s history is built on the blood of black people, but the future must not be made in the sacrifice of women’s lives, the leaders must stop failing women and punish the men harshly.
Slindokuhle Cele
Berea
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