Activists march for Nigerian girls
SANDTON - Activists led by actress Rosie Motene marched to the Nigerian Consulate in Illovo, Sandton on 8 May.
This following the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria. The march was under the #BringBackOurGirls global campaign that has seen public figures such as Michelle Obama and Justin Timberlake endorsing it, and demanding that the government of Nigeria place more resources, attention and focus on liberating the abducted girls.
Motene, who is not only an actress but an activist, was the organiser of the march and she said, “We’re tired of the rest of the world being silent about such an important issue. When it happened in Congo, we didn’t step up to the plate. It’s important to understand that this isn’t just a Nigerian issue, it’s a terrorism issue.
“It could happen anywhere in the world. It happened to Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan, who was shot in the head for pursuing an education, and now it’s happened in Nigeria. It’s also important to stress that Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation, not an Islamist one. What they are doing is not the way of Islam.”
She was joined by other activists and her celebrity friends at the rooftop of Sandton City where the march commenced. Fellow actress Sthandiwe Msomi said, “It is a human rights issue, it can happen to anyone. This affects everyone.”
Actress and singer Samkelo Ndlovu added, “I’m always first to put my hand up when it comes to women. The fact that they were kidnapped and no one said anything is what is concerning.”
About 200 people dressed in red and wearing head wraps marched on the consulate with Sandton police as escourts.
A memorandum was received by Nigerian Consulate representatives who signed the document and said they would ensure that the message reached the Nigerian government.
The memorandum demanded that the Nigerian government act swiftly and rescue the abducted girls with immediate effect. Activist Steve Letsike said, “What is going on is dangerous, it is bloody, it is vicious and it is heartless. We join in the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign and we call President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently find the girls and bring them home to their families.”
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