'Enough is enough' - Nelson Mandela Bay women join #TotalShutdown

Women in Nelson Mandela Bay were among thousands from around the country participating in a national march on Wednesday to protest against an avalanche of gender-based violence.

The #TotalShutdown march coincides with the start of National Women’s Month in South Africa.

The marchers gathered at the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court in North End and started walking towards the City Hall‚ 3km away‚ at about 11.30am. Dressed in black and red and carrying placards saying “I don’t want to die with my legs open” and “Stop raping our children”‚ they reached their destination – where they handed over a petition to mayor Athol Trollip – at about 1pm.

Many of the women were in tears as they shared their stories. One woman‚ who said she was a virgin when she was raped as a teenager‚ said she had had enough.

“We are being murdered and we are keeping quiet about it. I refuse to keep silent about it. This is enough. I’m not keeping silent about the perpetrator who took something from me that didn’t belong to him‚” she said.

“Some children are not safe at varsities anymore because perpetrators come in and think they can do whatever they want to do.

“Today we are here‚ saying enough is enough. We’ve had enough of this. We are the new generation.

“We are going to start this and we’re not going to finish it until we are satisfied that our demands are met.”

Lucy Nomhle Bowles‚ 35‚ one of the march leaders said: “We should not have to live in fear. We are here for the women whose names are not mentioned in the media. For those whose basic constitutional rights have been violated. We are here to stay enough is enough.”

Receiving the petition‚ Trollip said he accepted responsibility for the behaviour of every man.

“Not because all men do this. I’m a proud man that says that I want all men to be proud of every single thing they do‚” he said. “So all the issues you just mentioned about cat-calling‚ taking advantage‚ we have to say as men ‘not in our name’. I’m here to accept responsibility for that and to pay respect to all the women that came out here today to say ‘enough is enough’.

“I give you an assurance that we will consider this petition and hand it to the police as well and to every single person who needs to deal with it with the respect and due attention that it deserves.”

- HeraldLIVE

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