The case of Cwecwe, a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at a school in the Eastern Cape, has gripped the country, causing a nationwide outcry and marches demanding for “Justice for Cwecwe” in various cities and towns, including Hermanus.
On Thursday more than 150 comunity and political leaders, young boys and girls and residents of Zwelihle joined the cause when they marched from Zwelihle to Hermanus to hand over a memorandum of demands to delegates of the local police station as well as the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court.
The demands include that gender-based violence (GBV) should be declared a national emergency, mandatory life sentences for all GBV perpetrators, a one-day total shutdown to protest against GBV and femicide (the killing of women) the establishment of a national fund dedicated to supporting GBV victims and implimenting strategies to eradicate GBV and for the creation of GBV command centres in all provinces to ensure effective response and support services.
Zama Makhundayi, one of the organisers of the march, said he was very satisfied with the turn-out.
“There were probably more than 150 people. More and more people joined as we moved along. The numbers exceeded our expectations. We are especially happy that our youth and elders came out in numbers. It is particularly important for our youth to support such causes.”
Overstrand Executive Acting Mayor Lindile Ntsabo affirmed this. “It is imperative that society stand together against this cancer that is gender-based violence that is eating away at our communities, and in one voice say no to GBV. If we keep quiet about what is wrong in our communities we are destroying our future and the future of our youth.”
The Acting Mayor added that people should speak up against abuse, whether it happened in schools, church or their workplace.
Makhundayi said the march was about more than seeking “Justice for Cwecwe”. “We also asked for justice for Siphokazi Prince, whose boyfriend appeared in court today (Thursday 3 April).
“There have also been a number of other cases where women of our community were badly beaten, raped or killed. We need justice for all.” The crowd also handed a copy of the memorandum over to staff of the magistrates’ court where Bongomusa “Musa” Zitha appeared in connection with Siphokasi’s brutal murder at the end of November 2024.
Musa’s bail application was reportedly denied as he was wanted in connection with a rape case in another province.
Back to basics
Makhundayi expressed concern about the lack of services and support for GBV victims, especially on local level. “We want to put our faith in the justice system and let the law run its course, but it is failing the victims. One day a suspect is arrested and the next he is released. We need this to change.
“Another issue is that there are no shelters for GBV victims in our area. These women are too scared to speak out because of the fear of what will happen to them and their children, where will they live and what will they eat when the perpetrator is arrested. We need safe havens for women who are victims of GBV and their children.
“We also need preventative programmes aimed at young boys, particularly those coming from a background of GBV to prevent them from becoming perpetrators in order to break this vicious cycle.”
He concluded by calling on communities to go back to the custom of “your child is my child, my child is your child”, saying this is a basic but fundamental step in addition to looking out for and standing up for each other.
• In a separate case involving GBV, a well-known farmer from the Overberg appeared in the Hermanus Court last week in connection with an incident dating back to 2023, when he allegedly assaulted his former girlfriend and reportedly pulled bunches of hair from her scalp, leaving her with bald patches. The case was postponed to 2 June in the Regional Court after his attorney’s representations to the court and the Director of Public Prosecution to request that the charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against his client be withdrawn, were denied.
