Women demand protection, land

ZANDSPRUIT: METRO COPS FIRE RUBBER BULLETS

Women-only protest comes after mayor fails to respond to demands.

Police opened fire with rubber bullets at a group of women protesting against gender-based violence in Zandspruit, west of Johannesburg, yesterday morning.

More than 200 women closed off parts of the Beyers Naude Drive with burning tyres and other debris which resulted in police intervention.

The women-only protest was organised by the women of Zandspruit to address issues of land invasions as well as not having their own land to develop businesses.

The protesters said there were no opportunities in the area for women.

On 7 June, a memorandum was handed over to Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo, containing a list of demands asking for a stronger police presence in the area. The women claim they never heard from Makhubo’s office and decided to shut down Beyers Naude Drive to get their pleas heard.

The women said the plan was to protest peacefully. They claim, however, that once they reached the main road, the Johannesburg metro police fired rubber bullets at them.

One protester claimed they were given no warning and she was hit twice in the arm while trying to run to safety.

The women continued their protest on back roads in the hope that Makhubo would address them. They said they would continue to protest until they got a response from him.

Agnes Mashego said the men in the area have not succeeded in helping them in any way, but instead beat, rape and even murdered women.

Without resources, they are unable to work for themselves and have to rely on men to support them financially.

Another protester, Xolile Nxumalo, said threemonth-old children were being raped and she was tired of the men getting away with murder. “I want to be able to earn my own money so I can own my own house, a place where we can be safe and not live with these men that beat us and try to murder us,” she said.

“We don’t want men at this protest. Now the police are shooting at us; men, again hurting us, when all we want is to be heard and to feel safe again.”

The protest comes as a large number of cases related to gender-based violence have been reported. –

Now police are shooting at us; men again hurting us