Mourners to march against femicide

WHILE the local rugby player who is accused of fatally stabbing his former fiancée is still recovering in the Gariep Mediclinic, an anti-femicide march has been arranged for tomorrow afternoon, when friends and family of the deceased, Refilwe Letebele, will pay their final respects to the popular young woman.

Last week, the 28-year-old chartered accountant was fatally stabbed at her family home in Gemdene, allegedly by the suspect, who then proceeded to stab himself and slit his own throat.

Letebele’s funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon, beginning with a march from the scene of the incident in Barkly Road.

Mourners intend on honouring the memory of Letebele by wearing red and demonstrating against gender-based violence.

Tomorrow’s march will involve Letebele’s friends, family and colleagues, as well as local activists and community crime prevention organisations.

This comes after Letebele’s father, Norman Letebele, appealed to all stakeholders not to let his daughter’s death be in vain.

As mourners gathered at the family home on Sunday afternoon, Norman said that his daughter had been the victim of genderbased violence and he called on law enforcement and government to prioritise the safety of women.

“We aren’t doing enough to stop this type of crime and all need speak out and take a stand against violence, particularly against women and children,” he said. “We have a wonderful constitution but we need to make sure that it guarantees the safety of women.”

The incident resulted in a massive outpouring of messages of condolence and support for Letebele’s family on social media, with Facebook and Twitter users expressing outrage at the prevalence of violence against women.

“How many more woman must be killed like this?” asked Catherine Pretorius. “This is unacceptable. What is wrong with some men?”

“I still can’t believe what happened to her,” Dimakatso Bingwane commented. “May her humble and beautiful soul rest in eternal peace.”

“Getting out doesn’t guarantee one’s safety if one is unlucky enough to get involved with an unstable person,” Thandiwe Simons stated.

“What a beautiful young woman. What a waste,” Yelena Maltseva added.

Meanwhile, a court date is yet to be determined as the suspect is still not fit to make his first appearance.

Spokesperson for Gariep Mediclinic, Denise Coetzee, said that the suspect remained in a stable condition in hospital, adding that while he was making a recovery there was still no indication of when he was likely to be discharged.

Tomorrow’s march will begin in Barkly Road at 2.30pm and will proceed to Kimberley Cremations and Funerals.