Thousands march across the country to demand justice for Cwecwe
There has been no significant progress in the seven-year-old’s case
Thousands of people participated in marches across the country on Tuesday to call for justice following the rape of a seven-year-old in the Eastern Cape last year. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
People marched through the streets of Matatiele in the Eastern Cape and Johannesburg’s city centre on Tuesday, calling for justice for a seven-year-old known only as “Cwecwe” who was raped in the Eastern Cape in October. This follows days of protests and outrage across the country.
In December the child’s mother accused the police of being slow to act after the child was raped. The child was a learner at Bergview College, a private school in Matatiele. There is no confirmation that the child was raped at the school.
Matatiele
Shops around the town closed as hundreds of parents, activists and learners in their uniforms marched side-by-side from the Matatiele traffic department to Bergview College. The street outside the school was packed with people. Police and soldiers were also there to monitor the situation.
At first police tried to prevent the crowd from going to Bergview but as more people joined the march, they conceded but kept watch. Some protesters tried to force their way inside the school but were quickly stopped by police.
When the protesters arrived, the teachers were praying inside the school’s grounds.
The march was organised by two organisations, the Lady Ocean SA foundation and Holekane Women’s support. They were also joined by the ANC Women’s League and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Alfred Nzo District.
Police stop protestors from entering the school. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik
RK Mayekiso of the Lady Ocean SA Foundation said their aim is to put more pressure on the police and the school to work together.
“The aim is to put more pressure on the police. They need to investigate this case properly. We want to know who raped this girl and the school must see that people are not happy,” said Mayekiso.
According to ANCYL secretary in Alfred Nzo, Lihle Chalo, at least two women have been murdered in the last four days in the district and three learners were raped at schools since October. (GroundUp has not confirmed this.)
He said it was unacceptable that the family and community remain in the dark.
Some of the demands tabled by the marchers included a comprehensive, transparent briefing on the current status of the investigation to be shared with the family and legal representatives; for adequate psychosocial support; for a formal inquiry into the role of the school in how it handled the matter; and for better transparency by the authorities.
Last week the office of Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu said that three people, including the school principal, were identified as suspects. (This has been disputed by Afriforum.) All outstanding statements have since been obtained by the investigating officer. In a media briefing last week, Mchunu announced that no foreign DNA was found on the child.
Thembisile Langa, who joined marchers, shared how she lost her niece in December 2023 after struggling mentally after the man who raped her was released from jail. “It pains me how the Matatiele police are handling rape cases. The suspect only spent a week in jail and he came back and started threatening my niece, forcing her to drop the charges.”
Matatiele’s acting mayor Thembeka Dyantyi accepted the memo.
Hundreds marched through the city centre in Johannesburg on Tuesday, demanding more transparency and accountability from the state. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
Johannesburg
Hundreds of people, mostly women wearing black, gathered at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown before marching to the Department of Justice’s regional office on Pritchard Street.
Many of the protesters carried placards which read: “Justice delayed is justice denied”, “Justice for Cwecwe and all other children”. They sang songs as they were ushered through the city centre by a convoy of police.
Sibusiso Bethani, chairperson of Gauteng Children’s Sector, who helped organise the march, said that the protest was not just for Cwewe, but for all victims who are yet to get justice.
“The manner in which our government has handled the matter is unacceptable. Our children are being failed by the system. This is why we are making our voices heard today outside the Department of Justice,” said Bethani.
Marcher Ayanda Radebe said, “Honestly, as women we are not safe in this country. We can’t even walk the streets without the fear of being raped or killed. The most vulnerable of our society, our children, are also victims. And we get no justice. The perpetrators walk free because our police and government are failing in their duties.”
A memo was handed over at the Department of Justice regional office. Protesters called for dedicated sexual offence courts for child related cases; fast-tracking the prosecution of sexual assault cases involving children; strengthening evidence collection; and imposing harsher sentences.
Protesters also urged the Department of Justice to act decisively and restore the public’s trust in the legal system. They gave the department given two weeks to respond.
Bulelwa Mbanga, a director of Human Resources at the Department of Justice, accepted the memo and promised to give it to the relevant officials within the department.
Protesters urged the Department of Justice to act decisively and restore the public’s trust in the legal system. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
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