“We want to create intolerance of violence”

On Thursday about 30 residents marched in Duncan Village to speak out against gender-based violence in communities in the Buffalo City Metro. The march was organised by Bumb’ingomso, part of the Small Projects Foundation (SPF), in partnership with the Masimanyane women’s support centre.

“I was raped three times and now I live with HIV … I did not speak out,” says a 22-year-old from Pefferville in Duncan Village. “I was raped by a family member. Nothing happened; it was discussed among the family. I was raped again on my way from a study group by two men, and the last time by a taxi driver. I never reported it because I was scared of being judged.”

“I did not speak out. I did not get the help I needed. I ended up using drugs,” she says.

Bumb’ingomso monitoring and communications manager, Athenkosi Sopisha, said they chose Duncan Village because it is one of the 18 hot spots they have identified across Buffalo City for gender-based violence. It has a high density of women aged between 15 and 29. Others are Mdantsane and Newlands.

She said the march was to confront attitudes that had allowed violence against women to be an accepted thing in communities. “We want communities to be able to interrupt violence as it happens and create an intolerance of violence.”

Fort Hare student Pilasande Mkuzo from Mdantsane also joined the march. She said the problem is at universities as well. “We have cases in university where women are being beaten by their partners … rape cases where the perpetrator gets 72-hours community service,” said Mkuzo.

Annie Gogoba, a resident and community activist in Duncan Village, said, “The police are failing us as a community.”

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