EL protest by women against abuse
Bring back death penalty, students urge
AGROUP of East London women gathered outside the Fleet police station on Saturday to protest against genderbased violence.
Clad in black, and holding placards, the protesters sang songs which called for the emancipation of women as they waited for police officials to receive their memorandum.
Among their demands was a call for the death penalty to be restored, saying the justice system currently favoured men over women’s lives.
Human rights activist from Mdantsane, Khanyisa Dunjwa, who was one of the march conveners, said they were advocating for a womencentred law system.
“We feel that the system favours perpetrators. We want the restoration of the death penalty, because the Constitution is currently bogus.
“We all have a right to life – if you kill me, why is the system still lenient on you. It’s okay for the perpetrator to take my life but still continue with his? We want equal attention.”
The group, comprised of more than 50 women, mostly university students, marched from city hall to the police station, to protest against violence against women, abduction and rape. Among them was Joy Sijako, 23, a student at the Walter Sisulu University. She said they were being abused as women and girls were going missing.
Sijako who lives in Quigney, said women were easy targets of criminals, “and the police are hardly visible”.
“In Quigney, we have to walk in large groups to try to be safe. We live here, we walk everywhere, and sometimes we come back from classes, and different cars target us. We want the police to start doing their job,” Sijako said.
Khanya Noah said she was part of the protest because the abduction of women had hit close to home.
She said the attack on women hit home on Thursday evening when her cousin and a friend were nearly abducted by a man driving a bakkie in Cliff Street.
“They were walking back to their UFH residence when this man stopped next to them, demanding they get inside his car. They ran, and he chased after them.
“They got refuge from a group of guys walking in their direction.
“Seeing this, the driver sped off in the opposite direction. So I’m here because our lives are truly in danger,” Noah said.
After an hour-long wait, police officials came out to receive the handwritten memorandum, and had a brief discussion with the organisers of the protest.
The memorandum also called for more visibility and accountability from the SAPS, as well as taking women’s cases more seriously.
Brigadier Mxolisi Mqotyana, who accepted the memorandum on behalf of the station commander, commended the women for “coming together and bringing their demands to the police”.
“It is our duty as the SAPS to make sure that you feel safe, and our mission to provide safety for all inhabitants,” Mqotyana said.
Another convener of the march, Aphiwe Ntlemeza asked Mqotyana why members of the public had to wait 48 hours before reporting a missing person.
Mqotyana disputed the 48 hours waiting period, saying it “doesn’t apply to missing persons”.
“They can be reported immediately.”
He said he would have a response ready in seven working days, as well as a discussion of a way forward with the women. —