As a country, we are facing a dark period, with femicide, xenophobia, and protests throughout the country.
What has our beautiful rainbow nation come to? There is bloodshed everywhere; women and children are getting kidnapped and killed. A call for a national shutdown has been made by social media activists, in protest of the femicide which has gripped South Africa as a whole.
The recent death of Uyinene Mrwetyana has given rise to anger and fear regarding the safety of women and children. A new hashtag has been doing the rounds on social media – #AmINext – and this is the question every woman in South Africa is asking themselves.
It is unbelievable that our beautiful rainbow nation has been turned into a devil’s den by the perpetrators of rape and abuse. It is also very alarming to find that in the period 2017/2018, about 2 930 women and children were murdered. This means that every four hours, a woman or child is slaughtered.
Being a mother myself, a sister and a woman, I fear I might be killed next. We no longer feel safe in our own homes, as many women are murdered by their loved ones.
I am aghast at the fact that all these kidnappings and killings happened during August – celebrated as Women’s Month. What is the use of celebrating women when they are being kidnapped and killed, when there is a concerning level of femicide in the country? How are we going to raise our children, especially girls, when they may one day be sexually assaulted by a stranger or even a family member?
It is astonishing to think we all know rape victims, but don’t know any rapists. I believe we need to name and shame those who sexually abuse us, be it at a workplace or at home. As mothers, let us not protect rapists from anyone, let alone family members. We ask ‘what will people say’, yet this is the very reason why sexually assaulted children don’t come forward – they fear nothing will happen to the perpetrators, even if the crime is reported.
There is a war in our country, and if the Government doesn’t take a stand, more blood will be shed. As a nation, we need to take a stand by ensuring our children’s safety comes first. Young women need to walk in groups now whether it’s to a public toilet, on campus or at the mall. This is not paranoia, but rather an extra precaution to make sure we are all safe from harm, because we don’t want to be next.
Let us teach our boy children from a young age that violence does not solve anything, and verbally abusing a person is not allowed. If we can teach them from a young age, they should grow up knowing they are not entitled to a woman’s body, that women need to be protected at all times. Therefore, males will never take a woman’s vulnerability for granted.
From now on, let us be our brother’s keepers – we are living at a time where we should avoid saying ‘it’s none of my business, therefore I won’t intervene’. If you see or suspect a child or woman is being abused, help them by reporting the matter.
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