No ANC colours, no #TotalShutdown march – ANC Women’s League

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) will not be joining today’s official #TotalShutdown march, aimed at presenting solutions to the government about gender-based violence, but will embark on their own march instead.

ANCWL’s Young Women’s Desk spokesperson Fezeka Ndwayana said the party was disappointed in the conduct of the organisers of the #TotalShutdown march, who refused to allow them to wear party regalia.

“We have been in conversation with them for about two months and have been saying that we’ve also planned a march long ago in March,” Ndwayana said.

Though some may view their decision as petty, the regalia issue is very important to them, she said.

“They want everyone to wear red and black. And we said red and black is already a politicised colour. Allow women and men to wear whatever they want.”

Red and black are associated with the South African Communist Party and the EFF, she said. The main aim is for women and men to express themselves.

“We told [the #TotalShutdown march organisers] it will be many voices but one message, so we are not competing with you, or ANC Women’s League puts politics before women fighting with you. We will march where we feel we will make a lot of impact. We will be reinforcing your message.”

The ANCWL has partnered with the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute and former Miss South Africa Bokang Montjane and said their march was open to men, unlike the #TotalShutdown march.

Patience Mungwari Mpani, one of the organisers for the #TotalShutdown march, said they were happy ANC was marching for the same cause as long as they did so peacefully.

She said their disagreement on the regalia was based on their efforts to plan a nonpartisan march with no party affiliations.

Although no men were allowed to join their march, they could support the movement by donating, staying home from work, standing in for women and gender nonconforming people in the workplace and refraining from all economic activities, Mungwari Mpani said.

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