Let Tunzi’s win embolden us not to look away

“WE HAVE absolutely no reason to keep smiling because South African women are dying every day. And, mostly, people are doing nothing about it.”

As we celebrate Zozibini Tunzi’s achievement after she won the Miss Universe title yesterday, South African time, it would be prudent to revisit this icon’s words from August.

She had been responding to a question during the Miss SA pageant on what reasons the country’s women had to smile in the face of repressive abuse daily.

Today marks the end of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign, yet some of the most grotesque violence against women was perpetrated over the past fortnight.

Roughly a week ago, Kgaugelo Tshawane, 28, a mother-of-two from Tshwane in Gauteng was allegedly beaten up by her 37-year-old romantic partner, before she was locked inside her MINI Cooper and burnt to death.

The case of 21-year-old Limpopo student Precious Ramabulana, who was raped and fatally stabbed 52 times, allegedly by a 28-year-old man, is a stark example of the horrors that befall the women of our land.

These are graphic examples, yes, but there is the countless not-so-publicised harassment women endure: the cat-calling when passing a group of men; the sinking feeling when you’re about to enter a taxi full of men; and the body shaming and sexual language women have to bear.

We raise these points not to dampen the spirits of happiness following the amazing win for Tunzi and the country this week. No.

We do so to remind our readers: Don’t Look Away. Perpetrators of gender-based violence and abuse live among all of us in society, and we have seen them abuse people before the final harrowing deaths.

Don’t Look Away. Let Tunzi’s win embolden all of us to not look away and ensure that the scourge of abuse is brought to a much-needed end and that we inspire girls to know they can reach dizzying heights and their full potential – without worrying about being another statistic.

As our queen of the universe so succinctly put it on the world stage in New York City this week: “I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership… Nothing is more important than taking up space in society.”