Road closures in Mamelodi on Saturday for the fourth annual No Fear Pride March
The “No Fear” Pride March is an annual event, aimed at celebrating LGBTIQ lives, visibility, and rights in Mamelodi.
Several streets around Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square in Mamelodi are set to be affected by an awareness march in the area on Saturday morning.
The “No Fear” Pride March is an annual event aimed at celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) lives, visibility, and rights in Mamelodi.
One of the event founders, Kgothatso Sethole, said that the event aimed to raise awareness about queer lives.
“The first march and celebration activities took place on June 26, 2021 in response to the alarming increase in the murders of LGBTIQ bodies,” said Sethole.
The pride march and celebration activities were organised by Walk With Heart (WWH), a primarily LGBTIQ+ sexual health responsibility not-for-profit company based and operated in Mamelodi.
Walk With Heart collaborated with a number of other non-profit organisations, such as The Ark, Access Chapter 2 and Not In My Name International.
“This year, the theme for the march is ‘30 Year of Democracy – Reflecting on the LGBTQ+ Rights Post Apartheid South Africa’ and will begin at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square through to the Mamelodi West Police Station and then back to Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square in Denneboom, where various activities will take place, including a panel discussion on the topic,” said Sethole.
Sethole said that the day would also include HIV/AIDS counselling and testing, addresses by various stakeholders on issues of the Mental and Physical Health, Safety and Financial Literacy/Freedom of the LGBTIQ community and performances by a number of LGBTIQ artists and musicians.
“The object of this entire event is purely for the benefit of the LGBTIQ community’s benefit and to create awareness to the larger community of Mamelodi,” said Sethole.
The Tshwane Metro police (TMPD) said that the marchers will gather from 09:00 at Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square and were expected to disperse by 12:30.
It advised residents that the following streets would be affected by the No Fear march:
– Ledwaba Street
– Maphalla Street
– Tsamaya Road
– Dr Rebeiro Drive
– Shabangu Street
– Nchabeleng Street
– Kubine Street
The TMPD said that motorists should use alternative routes:
– Mashabela Street
– Mphokeng Street
– Sibande Street.
TMPD and SAPS officers will be deployed to monitor the march and all affected streets.
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