By Mpumzi Mshweshwe
The Women for Change Organisation held a demonstration at the union buildings on the 11th of April in their fight against Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). A petition released by Women for Change released a petition two months ago requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa should accept the petition and declare gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster.
Strategic advisor for Women for Change, Ashmitha Singh, unveiled the details of the events pertaining to the demonstration.
Singh said: “The reason why we want this to be a national disaster is because it allows us to deviate from the constitution for a three-month period, which allows for an immediate response to the issue. “Our petition reached a hundred and fifty thousand signatures. We are here today in a peaceful demonstration, we are still expecting President Ramaphosa to declare this scourge a national disaster, and we are hoping to hand over the petition to him today.”
The people came in hundreds to support the demonstration alongside political parties and civil society organisations. Singh said that the demonstration was organised without a budget and was it was mutually beneficial understanding among all stakeholders.
Success for the event was seen as the right people showed up to receive the petition and that was at least an acknowledgement of what Women for Change advocated for, which is “no bail and no parole” for offenders.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Ayanda Allie, said that for BOSA, this was not a one-day event. She said that “it is important for us to gather in this fashion, and it is important for us to be aligned with other stakeholders that are fighting the same fight as us, but is it important for us to realise that it will not start today, and it will not end today,” Allie said.
BOSA deputy president, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, has been vocal in calling for the sexual offenders register to be made public either electronically or in hard copy.
The memorandum, which was delivered by BOSA, detailed how these issues need to be addressed. The party has called for greater law enforcement and a greater victim-centred approach.
Social Media personality and political analyst, Amahle Imvelo Jaxa, said that her reason for participating in the event was to see a change in gender based violence and femicide. She outlined her wish to see concrete results of the event. Jaxa said: “Essentially, Women for Change and the rest of the women in the country would like to declare GBVF a national disaster, because that is what it is, so that adequate resources can be dedicated to GBVF once it is known as a national disaster.”
Several speakers went on stage and held prayer sessions and sang amagwijo (freedom songs). The stage was also graced by the Harmony Haven Choir, which sang moving and motivating songs.
The theme of the event was “Black Clothing,” which symbolised morning. – @NewsSA_Online