Investec Alexandra Field Band honours women
ALEX – Investec Alexandra Field Band takes to the street to honours women during their month and calls for an end to 'GBV rot'.

Band members of the Investec Alexandra Field Band took to the streets on Women’s Day to add their voice to the growing chorus against the murder of women and young girls.
They did so with only a few of their stashed away drums and trumpets due to the Covid-19 pandemic but instead opted to use more placards to drum home the message. This in support of the many women who have alarmingly become victims of gender-based violence and femicide.
The band wanted to take a stand against what they described as ‘a rot plaguing our country’, and to show their support and solidarity with women with a few of their music instruments but with more of solemn silence. They were supported by none other than Alex’s topmost philanthropist, Linda Twala, and Mrs SA Finalist, Ndo Twala.
They marched through the streets waving their placards and observing social distancing as required by the protocols of Covid-19, including brief stops along the busy Pretoria Road on their journey to the Phuthaditjaba Centre on 16th Avenue.
But before they could arrive at the centre, band members decided to take another impromptu stop at the corner of Richard Baloyi Street and 2nd Avenue to interact with the people and passersby, using their new-found harmony of ‘placard music’ as a soothing tool to massage residents’ souls.
At the centre, they silently entertained scores of people by shuffling around their placards as though in full musical performance, much to the amusement of onlookers and passersby, before drumming and trumpeting out on a few songs.
“We wanted to show our unwavering support and solidarity with women, who happen to be our mothers, aunts, sisters, nieces and friends and schoolmates. We say enough is enough and this rot must come to an end,” said band leader and project manager of the band Phumzile Twala, daughter of Linda, in a telephonic interview with the Alex News.
“If it were not for the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown rules and regulations, we would have been in full force with our musical instruments to do what we know best – playing music,” Phumzile added.