- World-renowned DJ and producer Black Coffee reportedly organised and later postponed a march against gender-based violence.
- The march, however, went ahead with a few people marching to Johannesburg Central police station.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement condemning the spate of murders of women and children after a surge in incidents of gender-based violence and femicide.
A small group of protesters gathered in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday morning to march against gender-based violence.
The event, reportedly organised by award-winning DJ and producer Black Coffee, was postponed at the last minute to 21 June.
The women and men who had already arrived in the CBD opted to proceed with the march. This despite it not being recognised by officials after organisers failed to get the required permission.
They marched from 150 Commissioner Street to the Johannesburg Central police station formerly known as the notorious John Vorster Square.
READ | Ramaphosa concerned over ‘surge’ in violence during Level 3
The protesters called on the government to take tangible action against perpetrators.
One of the protesters, Kagiso Manitshane who ended up leading the group, told News24 the brutal murder of eight-month pregnant Tshegofatso Pule on 8 June was a turning point.
Stabbed
Pule was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, after she had been stabbed in the chest.
“I think what reached the turning point for most of us, was the woman who was hanged. I think for most of us, we were always against it, but it was that case that actually made us stand up, take a stand against it and say no more. I think we can still do more,” Manitshane said.
Another attendee, Katlego Ntsie, said protesting was not a sustainable solution to achieve change.
“Protesting is the starting point, it’s not where it ends. The message needs to carry on. We are trying to get a message across but it needs to land up with the people that really need to hear it. We need to be accountable to one another and take responsibility,” he added.
He said:
It’s not about coming to a march and showing face. It starts with the conversations we have with our friends, calling friends out, how we raise our children, what we tell our sons about being men and the standards we set. It doesn’t end here. Let’s carry on with the moment.
Katlego Ntsie, protester
Patience Mokeona said she would like to see men making more of an effort and changes when it came to issues of gender-based violence since they were the main perpetrators.
“I would love to see men more involved in such things because at the end of the day, it’s not us who are killing them, it’s them who are killing us. As men, they actually need to sit down and come up with a plan that can be done because seriously, we are tired,” she added.
On Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement condemning the “surge in murders of women and children”.
He said since the country entered Level 3 of the Covid-19 lockdown on 1 June, there had been an increase in gender-based violence and femicide.
