Mohlakeng women take to the streets against abuse
Mothers and women from Mohlakeng took to the streets to march against women and child abuse across the country.
Women, mothers, grandmothers and even men joined in prayer and marched against women and child abuse as well as crime in general in Mohlakeng on Thursday, 6 July.
Manyano members of the Methodist Church of South Africa, women from other denominations and mothers of the community of Mohlakeng took to the streets clad in black. Also present were Rand West City Local Municipality councillor Tina Grobler and Faith Matshikiza, former West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) Executive Mayor, who sang and waved anti-crime placards with strong messages pleading to police minister, Fikile Mbalula and government to do something regarding crime, specifically against women and children, escalating in the town and country.
Prior to the march, police Chaplain Masechaba Mabotho conducted a prayer at Ramosa Hall.
“The nation is in a crisis. We as women cannot just sit and do nothing,” said Margaret Thabalaka, a former teacher and wife to Reverend Moss Thabalaka, a retired Air Force chaplain, also present during the march.
Speaking in Sesotho and Setswana, Grobler gave women words of encouragement and strength against all forms of abuse and violence, and called for divine intervention.
Mampho Sepanya, a veteran in the education field and former Malerato Primary School principal handed over a memorandum to acting Randfontein Police station commissioner, Colonel Tshidi Filita and Visible Policing commissioner, Colonel Makgatho.
The content of the memorandum included the local Mohlakeng hostel as a potential crime hot spot, and the area east of Mohlakeng between AB Phokompe Secondary School and Lukhanyo High School to Ngqonyela Street. Another request was harsher sentences for perpetrators.
Upon receiving the memorandum, Colonel Filita committed herself to the concerns of the mothers of the community. She added she was mostly moved by the presence of the elderly on crutches. She gave the marchers and community members the assurance that the Randfontein Police are proactive in this regard. She did, however, make a plea for facts instead of hearsay.
“We have heard you as our parents. We have to act on facts and we would like to have your cooperation. We as Randfontein Police management are going to sit down and analyse this.”
Colonel Filita went on to say that these cases are being given attention, and that operations have been conducted and are still going to be conducted as far as the hostel is concerned.
Tshidi Raikane, also a former teacher, signed the memorandum with Colonel Filita. She also raised concerns about the spate of burglaries, especially affecting women and pensioners who stay alone.
“As prayer warriors we are also going to pray for police members in their quest to quell crime within our community,” she said.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
