#AmINext silent protest demands action from Ramaphosa
'Mr President, men are raping us, killing us. What are you doing?' ask the protestors.
Protesters during the #AmINext silent protest at the Cape Town International Convention Center on 04 September 2019 | Image: Twitter/ @sweattweets
A group of South African women organised under the name “Am I Next” engaged in a silent protest to the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) to demand action from President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the ongoing problems of femicide and gender-based violence in South Africa.
The organisation’s name was derived from a question that various social media users began to ask this week after news of the deaths of boxing champ Leighandre ‘Baby Lee’ Jegels and UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana.
Powerful silent protest #CTICC #RIPUyineneMrwetyana pic.twitter.com/mRJ4ssjNSl
— Sweat (@SweatTweets) September 4, 2019
The question was then turned into a hashtag #AmINext, which has also since been used to out perpetrators of sexual violence in a version of the #MeToo moment for South Africa.
'Stop killing us'. A group of women with tape over their mouths at the #CTICC entrance ask President Cyril #Ramaphosa what he is doing because men are raping and killing. #AmINext @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/QPS3tBM4BK
— Jenni Evans (@itchybyte) September 4, 2019
Protesters outside #cticc saying women are not protected in this country. Police watch on #WEFAfrica19 #eNCA @eNCA pic.twitter.com/rAY9WRRU50
— Ronald Masinda (@RONALDMASINDA) September 4, 2019
Amazing to be apart of this #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #AmINext pic.twitter.com/gkU6E35sPx
— Philly Hill (@Phillip88899970) September 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/grayzfire/status/1169176120551452672?s=20
The CTICC is currently where the 2019 World Economic Forum on Africa is happening featuring delegates from all over the world. Ramaphosa is also in attendance.
Although he has not yet addressed the crowd, they were attended to by Dr Olive Shisana, who is the chair of a special task team on gender-based violence established by Ramaphosa’s administration.
Doctor Olive Shisana from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s interim committee tries to address a crowd of protesters outside the World Economic Forum in Cape Town. pic.twitter.com/VkoR1xYU4R
— Aron Hyman (@aron_hyman) September 4, 2019
What are you doing? How many more? Picket at #CTICC as Dr Olive Shisana tries to address the group over the government's work to stop gender based violence. #StopViolenceAgainstWomen #AmINextPROTEST @TeamNews24 #WEFA19 pic.twitter.com/Grj7xoly6M
— Jenni Evans (@itchybyte) September 4, 2019
Ramaphosa has yet to respond to the protestors’ concerns.
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