The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) extends its support and solidarity to the teenage girl who survived an attempted rape in Willowvale in the Eastern Cape.
SABC reported that the sixteen year old girl stabbed a man to death after he allegedly tried to rape her. Police confirmed that the young teenager is in a place of safety because the family of the alleged perpetrator has threatened her life. A murder case has been opened against her.
We are deeply concerned that in our society, Gender Based Violence is so prevalent that young women and mothers are forced to take the law into their own hands because the system is failing to protect them. Last year a shocking 30 thousand rape cases were recorded by the SAPS which is indicative of the crisis. Recently a mother from Komani in the Eastern Cape stabbed a man to death and wounded two others when she allegedly found them gang raping her 27 year old daughter. She is currently facing one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. The two rape suspects were also arrested and charged.
We have extremely high levels of violence against women and children and as a society we must demonstrate that this is a crisis which we take very seriously. Many young women are too scared to even report these crimes because of fear of victimization, and even when they do, the crimes against them often go unsolved and the perpetrators find their way back onto the streets. These acts of injustice cannot be allowed to continue unabated. We must unite our communities and use all our resources to mobilize and uproot this horrifying scourge from our communities.
We urge the police services to play a more active role in protecting the community from sexual predators. It is truly shameful that women are forced to defend themselves only for the law to punish them and traumatize them further by charging them! We therefore demand that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdraw the murder charges against the two women immediately.
They were clearly acting in self-defense. Their desperate acts point to a police service and a judiciary which has failed to provide adequate protection for the most vulnerable members of the working class. We also demand that the alleged perpetrators must be subjected to the full might of the law and harsh sentences must be handed down.
The NUMSA Gender structure in the Eastern Cape has resolved to help the teenage survivor and her family. We will also be reaching out to the mother, also dubbed ‘Lion Mama’ who fought to defend her daughter after she was attacked. Representatives from the region will be requesting a meeting with them to find out how we can support them. We will also be working with our comrades in the United Front in the region as we fight to end gender based violence in our communities.
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued by Kuhle Siguba
NUMSA Eastern Cape Regional Gender Chairperson
0736097302
For more information contact:
Phakamile Hlubi
NUMSA National Spokesperson (Acting)
0833767725