"We are tired of feeling unsafe in our own homes and workplaces."
These were the words echoed by close to 200 women employed by the department of education including female teachers employed by the department in the OR Tambo both coastal and inland regions as well as the Alfred Nzo district, who staged a march to highlight the plight of women on Monday.
They were joined by ANC Women's League within the OR Tambo region.
Armed with white A4 size papers written Yekani Ukuthwala (stop with underage forced marriages) and open business opportunities for women and others saying prioritise women cases, they took to the streets in Mthatha singing and chanting “Isikhalo Somfazi sihoye” (you must listen to the cry of a women).
The march culminated in the handing over of a petition directed to Eastern Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga. However it was accepted by the Mthatha cluster acting commander Brigadier Nomawethu Makhonza on her behalf.
Some of the demands included that suspects arrested for rape, murder, women and child abuse should not be granted bail under any circumstances while also calling for long prison sentences without for possibility of parole for those convicted of the three.
One of the women, Lindiwe Ngunge, said, "We rest on the services of police. We are here to say no more shall we be subjected to killings, to rape and whatever else. We have a right as women to live happily and safely like any other citizens in the country."
Meanwhile speaking at the women's event, Makhonza begged women to give evidence in court so perpetrators remain behind bars.
Women cry out: enough is enough!
Image: Ziyanda Zweni
"We are tired of feeling unsafe in our own homes and workplaces."
These were the words echoed by close to 200 women employed by the department of education including female teachers employed by the department in the OR Tambo both coastal and inland regions as well as the Alfred Nzo district, who staged a march to highlight the plight of women on Monday.
They were joined by ANC Women's League within the OR Tambo region.
Armed with white A4 size papers written Yekani Ukuthwala (stop with underage forced marriages) and open business opportunities for women and others saying prioritise women cases, they took to the streets in Mthatha singing and chanting “Isikhalo Somfazi sihoye” (you must listen to the cry of a women).
The march culminated in the handing over of a petition directed to Eastern Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga. However it was accepted by the Mthatha cluster acting commander Brigadier Nomawethu Makhonza on her behalf.
Some of the demands included that suspects arrested for rape, murder, women and child abuse should not be granted bail under any circumstances while also calling for long prison sentences without for possibility of parole for those convicted of the three.
One of the women, Lindiwe Ngunge, said, "We rest on the services of police. We are here to say no more shall we be subjected to killings, to rape and whatever else. We have a right as women to live happily and safely like any other citizens in the country."
Meanwhile speaking at the women's event, Makhonza begged women to give evidence in court so perpetrators remain behind bars.
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