UmKhonto Wesizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) recently partnered with Pelo Bonolo Foundation to protest and support victims in the fight against gender based violence at the Jabavu Engen Garage in White City Soweto.
Pelo Bonolo Foundation co-founder Nhlanhla Khoza said that the campaign comes as awareness to everyone, due to the high rate of women who get murdered in South Africa. “Women have been living under siege for the past few weeks, several allegedly brutally murdered killed by intimate partners.” Khoza said.
Khoza said Pelo Bonolo Foundation cannot keep quite anymore as they are tired of seeing such inhuman killings of women and children in the communities.
“We wanted to show solidarity towards many voices that are not heard due to fear of speaking up. Our message was to encourage, support and comfort those directly affected by such actions. We want to have universal voice for all women and children in order challenge men who kill women and children instead of protecting them”, she said.
“Brutal incidents have happened in our neighborhoods. We also hear of horrible stories elsewhere and feel that justice is failing us. We do not tolerate any misconduct, brutality, violence, killing of women and children. We believe in a fair justice system for the victims. Khoza stressed that being based in Soweto will not deter them from raising their voices against the abuse and violence of women and children throughout the country.
One of the protesters Mthunzi Mbuyisa, from White City, Jabavu in Soweto said he witnessed his mother taking her last breath after his father fatally shot her. “The experience left me traumatized, my father went on to shoot my uncle on the leg and pointed a gun at me as well. Mbuyisa added that this affected the family very badly and led to his grandmother dying of a heart attack a few months after the burial of her daughter. According to Mbuyisa, the perpetrator got 25 years life imprisonment plus 17 years sentence. He acknowledged that community support during the trial had a positive impact and encouraged the family to not lose hope.
Grandmother Lydia Lala also joined the protests to raise her voice and take a stand as GBV led to her daughter and two grandchildren’s deaths in the hands of a man who was supposed to protect them. “My daughter’s boyfriend killed her and the two children, he then threw their bodies near Jabulani Hostel. “This incident affected me badly, but we got support from the community. The suspect got arrested but is not yet sentenced. We are pleading with men to stop killing us and our children,” said Lala.
