A wave of blue down High Street
DA-led march highlights rise in violence against women, children
About 50 people, the majority of them wearing some item of blue clothing, took to High Street in Makhanda at lunchtime last Friday, marching from Drostdy Arch to the paved area alongside the Cathedral on Church Square.
The march, which was organised and coordinated by the DA, was led by DA Women’s Network (DAWN) for the Frontier Constituency chair Georgina Faldtman and DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga.
They were supported by banner- and placard-bearing DA members and supporters, Makana councillors and DA staff members.
The aim of the march was to highlight the increased violence against women and children in SA, as well as gender-based violence in Makhanda.
Due to start just after 1pm in ideal weather, those gathered under the Drostdy Arch only set off after 1.30pm due to the late arrival of a municipal traffic escort and SAPS members. They had been deployed to a “situation” at the Queen Street taxi rank where they spent a good part of the morning.
Once underway, the marchers walked in orderly fashion, accompanied by boisterous singing and shouted words aimed at perpetrators of women and children abuse, as well as gender-based violence.
Placards carried aloft by marchers stated: “Am I Next?”; “Keep Our Women and Children Safe”; “Protect the Most Vulnerable”; and “Silence Leads to Violence”.
One young marcher carried a poster bearing a photograph of former Kingswood College pupil Uyinene Mrwetyana who was allegedly murdered by a postal worker at the Claremont post office, in Cape Town in August.
Marchers were greeted along the way by words of encouragement from residents and hoots of support from passing motorists.
After 400m of incident-free walking, those involved gathered outside the Cathedral and were led in prayer by Pastor BR Malumane.
Then it was the speakers’ turn, among whose ranks were Faldtman and Bhanga.
They spoke out – at times in vehement and unwavering fashion – against violence against women and children in SA.
The SAPS came under occasional fire from speakers regarding various aspects of cases under investigation, as well as other matters.
Organisers had originally planned to hand over a memorandum to the station commander at the police station, but instead this was done on Church Square at the conclusion of proceedings.
Faldtman handed over the memorandum to female police captains Linda Kadi, Anderlene Niemand and Milanda Coetzer, with Colonel Monray Nel keeping an eye on proceedings.