IN 2016, while serving on the Durban Youth Council as a high school learner from Glenwood High School, he hosted an event titled “YOUth Against Violence”. It was a grassroots colloquium aimed at raising awareness around gender-based violence and child abuse, especially within local communities.

As a teenager, Solomuzi Buthelezi, 26, felt a deep urgency to speak out and create space for dialogue, healing, and accountability, even when it felt like he was standing alone. Back then, he felt like he was fighting alone, being a voice for the voiceless and vulnerable.

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“Today, I’m heartened to see the country mobilising around these same issues through the upcoming National Women’s Shutdown on November 21. The movement’s symbolism, purple as a theme colour, and its bold stance remind me of the very spirit that drove my teenage activism. It feels like the nation is finally catching up to a conversation I tried to spark nearly a decade ago,” Buthelezi said.

“Today, I’m proud to see that voice becoming a chorus. Although I admit that a lot of ground has been covered to educate and raise awareness around GBV, the government can still play a much bigger role. The State has endless resources, infrastructure, and a greater platform, which is why I believe that the solutions lie with it to create safer spaces for victims and to mould the mindset and impose harsher repercussions on perpetrators.

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“Increasing abuse is a direct result of unemployment, idle minds, and unhinged drug and alcohol consumption. If the government can address these issues, we will start seeing a drop in cases of abuse.”

Buthelezi acknowledges the amplified voices on social media; however, he thinks the real target, ie, perpetrators and victims, have either no or limited access to these platforms. Hence, the government should redirect some campaigns to the grassroots levels. He further calls for more mainstream education. “Violence is born in the streets where opportunity never walks.”

Although currently he is more occupied with his full-time job as a project manager, the GBV advocacy bug still bites, as he continues to dream of a GBV-free society.

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