Manaka Ranaka’s heartbreaking poem on #KhensaniMaseko's suicide

Actress Manaka Ranaka has added her voice to the wave of outrage that has gripped Mzansi after the death  of student Khensani Maseko, who took her own life after allegedly being raped.

News of Khensani's suicide has dominated most social media platforms this week, after she left a poignant message on social media declaring that nobody deserved to be raped.

Her death has led to calls for action against gender-based violence and for women to be protected from harm.

Actress Manaka Ranaka was one of many women, who have come out to pay tribute to Khensani and has penned a heartbreaking poem addressed to rapists.

"I am so mad right now. If only you could understand what your rape does to us, I don't think you'd continuously use your d**k as a weapon of mass destruction! When you forcefully penetrate yourself into me, I die!"

She added that every action in such circumstances gives the victim a "sick feeling" that leaves them feeling dead inside.

"Your unwanted breath against my skin, I die. Your disgusting sweat that drops on my face from the workout you having on me, I die!! And when you finally ejaculate your insensitive agro dirty little energy inside me, I die a million deaths"

Manaka described rape victims as ghosts, who become a shadow of their former selves. 

"We walk around as living ghosts because of men and that's just not fair," she added.

In a statement provided to  TimesLIVE,  Rhodes University's communications head Veliswa Mhlope said the institution had contacted Khensani's family after she had reported the rape and the family travelled to Grahamstown from Johannesburg for a meeting.

They had decided to take their daughter home for a while and Rhodes had agreed to follow up on the matter.

She was due to return to the university this week for a meeting with the support and investigation team.

Meanwhile students and mourners marched to the Settlers Monument in Grahamstown on Tuesday to honour Khensani.