In Conversation With Patricia Nyamandi Nyamandi - Director Court Operations.
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It is the month in which we pay tribute to the women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the pass laws and to hand over a petition to Prime Minister JG Strijdom.
They had made an appointment to hand the document over to Strijdom, but were then told that he could not see them. The women responded: “Wathint’ abafazi, Strijdom! wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uza kufa!”
We pay tribute to these women and to the generations of women who followed them, the women of today, who shape our nation, our families and our communities through their strength, wisdom, compassion and leadership.
We are gathered here today in Prince Alfred Hamlet not just to speak about gender-based violence and femicide, but to confront it, to challenge it, and to change it. Whether it’s domestic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, assault, sexual offences or murder, many women in our country have experienced gender-based violence.
These crimes are often committed by persons close to them. These crimes are often under-reported. These crimes are committed in our schools, in our homes, in our communities.
We must ask ourselves - what kind of society do we want to be? We cannot turn a blind eye, we need to rise to protect all in our country from gender-based violence. Today’s Imbizo is a call to action. It is a space for empowering our communities, for healing, and for support.
You will notice that there are many different stakeholders and role-players here today – from the SAPS, the Department of Health, the National Prosecuting Authority and civil society, to name but a few.
These stakeholders are here to help and to support. We must strengthen our community structures, empower our youth, and ensure that justice is not delayed or denied.
They had made an appointment to hand the document over to Strijdom, but were then told that he could not see them. The women responded: “Wathint’ abafazi, Strijdom! wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uza kufa!”
We pay tribute to these women and to the generations of women who followed them, the women of today, who shape our nation, our families and our communities through their strength, wisdom, compassion and leadership.
We are gathered here today in Prince Alfred Hamlet not just to speak about gender-based violence and femicide, but to confront it, to challenge it, and to change it. Whether it’s domestic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, assault, sexual offences or murder, many women in our country have experienced gender-based violence.
These crimes are often committed by persons close to them. These crimes are often under-reported. These crimes are committed in our schools, in our homes, in our communities.
We must ask ourselves - what kind of society do we want to be? We cannot turn a blind eye, we need to rise to protect all in our country from gender-based violence. Today’s Imbizo is a call to action. It is a space for empowering our communities, for healing, and for support.
You will notice that there are many different stakeholders and role-players here today – from the SAPS, the Department of Health, the National Prosecuting Authority and civil society, to name but a few.
These stakeholders are here to help and to support. We must strengthen our community structures, empower our youth, and ensure that justice is not delayed or denied.
