Silent Protest takes place at Wits
BRAAMFONTEIN – Students host Silent Protest in solidarity with rape survivors.
More than 500 people gathered at the University of the Witwatersrand to participate in the 10th annual Silent Protest – showing solidarity with rape survivors and their right to post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after being attacked.
WATCH:
It has begun, the #SilentProtest #SilentProtestWits pic.twitter.com/ewbj9CXKea
— City Buzz JHB (@CityBuzzJHB) August 17, 2016
The main objective of this year’s protest is to highlight the many serious issues surrounding rape and the difficulties survivors face after the ordeal.
Larissa Klazinga, regional policy and advocacy manager for AHF Southern Africa and one of the organisers said, “Rape is a far greater epidemic than indicated by the skewed statistics provided by the South African Police Services (Saps).
“It is concerning that, in their quest to report on improved crime statistics, there seems to be a disincentive for Saps to accurately report on any violent crimes.”
Klazinga, explained that she started the protest in 2007, after a call from the 1 in 9 campaign to start a national day of solidarity for rape survivors. She has since been involved in a number of campaigns and protests.
“It was felt that it was really important to create some sort of space where we could raise awareness of how few people are able to report rape, not because it doesn’t happen – but because there aren’t systems in place to support survivors because of secondary victimisation both at the police station and the courts, as well as in their communities,” she said.
Lerato Makate, one of the organisers and protesters, explained the importance of the silent protest, “Freedom of speech is an important thing, if your speech is taken away, it reminds people of the times they felt silenced. That’s what the silence is about. People choose to [be silent] in commemoration of people they know, or for their own strength.”
Klazinga added that it was vital that survivors knew that they could go to a hospital and demand care.
#BlowTheWhistle on sexual violence. We will not be silenced by stigma #SilentProtest @SilentProtestW @vowfm @WitsGEO pic.twitter.com/xMZ0ZYDYNO
— Drama for Life (@dflwits) August 17, 2016
#citybuzz awaits the start of the #SilentProtest against sexual violence at @WitsUniversity for #WomensMonth pic.twitter.com/7Y79mgyX1h
— City Buzz JHB (@CityBuzzJHB) August 17, 2016
