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Searching for a haven in SA

South Africa has been dubbed the 'rape capital' and been named as the most dangerous country in the world for female travellers who are travelling alone according to the Women Danger Index.

South Africans’ spirit was marred by xenophobic attacks and the murder of 19-year-old University of Cape Town (UCT) student Uyinene Mrwetyana. The student’s death sparked rage amongst women in the country who told their own stories of sexual assault at the hands of South African men.

Mrwetyana was murdered when she went to collect a parcel at the Post Office, women across the country have stood up against the incessant violence by men against them. Women took to social media to out their alleged rapists and this is very telling of their confidence in South Africa’s justice system.

South Africa has been dubbed the ‘rape capital’ and been named as the most dangerous country in the world for female travellers who are travelling alone according to the Women Danger Index which was compiled by travel advisory website, Asher & Lyric.

The website compiled the index by developing eight categories which included the number of intentional homicide of women in the country and violence against women attitudes in the country. South Africa came out on top in terms of numbers and negative attitudes out of the 50 countries with the most international visitors that the website looked at.


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The fact-checking organisation, Africa Check, confirmed that a woman is murdered every three hours in South Africa and the government’s lack of adequate response to the crisis has also made it clear that protests and marches will not change anything. Thousands of women marched across the country last year at the beginning of women’s month shouting that they had nothing to celebrate.

The first demand that was put forth by The Total Shutdown Movement that government met was convening gender-based violence (GBV) summit. The summit which was concluded last November yielded a five-year plan that was developed by civil society in partnership with the government to tackle the issue of GBV at its core, which is in the communities.

The problem, at its very core, lies in the attitudes towards men’s violence against women and how it has become normalised. A member of a local church in Protea, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her identity, was recently sexually assaulted after a church service and her assault was dismissed as it was not considered to be violent or forceful. The assault, regardless of how minimal it may be considered by the church and the perpetrator, has remained with the victim.

“I was helping out with a church programme so after church, this guy, who is also part of this programme, came from behind me and grabbed my [buttocks] for a long time while hugging me…it’s been very hard for me dealing with this because I’ve been blaming myself for it. I was asking myself if I’m too friendly, I saw this person as a brother. It’s been a constant feeling of not feeling safe or protected,” the victim said.

The church only took time to speak to the victim after she matter took it upon herself to report it to the main church and subsequently denied knowing about it. This is quite telling of how sexual assault is dealt with within our society. Women do not feel safe in public spaces, at their workplaces, in their places of worship and in their homes which begs the question, where can South Africa’s women breathe easy?




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