DA KZN: What should we be marching for today?

6 September 2016

What a privilege it is today to debate on this historic event, 60 years after 10 000 to 20 000 brave women took a stand and changed the lives of black South African women forever.

Today we stand on the shoulders of giants;

- women, mostly unarmed and many with babies on their backs

- women, so focussed on the righting the injustice of being forced to carry passes

- women so determined that they ignored all danger, facing off against the Apartheid Police

I quote from Dora Tamana’s speech to the women gathered at the Union Buildings in 1956:

“We, women, will never carry these passes. This is something that touches my heart, I appeal to you women to come forward and fight. These passes make the road even narrower for us. We have seen unemployment, lack of accommodation and families broken because of passes. We have seen it with our men. Who will look after our children when we go to jail for a technical offence – not having a pass?”

Those 10 to 20 000 women stood together, in defiance of the batons and weapons of the police, in defence of their families and for the future of all South Africans. They put aside any fear they may have held for their oppressors for the benefit of their families.

This was one of many acts of defiance against injustice, but in my opinion the most profound.

History tells us of Lilian Ngoyi’s suggestion that this be a silent protest. It went ahead and for a full 30 minutes thousands of women sere silent for what they believed in. The procession ended with the women dispersing in an orderly and dignified fashion while singing Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica.

What a powerful statement that must have been.

The march was all the more remarkable having been organised at least twenty years before the arrival of TV in South Africa and probably 40 years before cell phones – imagine trying to organise something of this magnitude today without social media?

Fast forward to 2016 - 60 years later.

As Leaders and Legislators we need to ask ourselves the question - what is deserving of a march to the Union buildings (in a DA run Tshwane by the way)? What is so important that we would face danger and our fears for?

The National Development Plan is aiming for women to walk freely in the streets and children to play safely outside by 2030. The police will be well trained and resourced to protect citizens against violence. We had better make a start.

I was fortunate to attend the Commonwealth Parliament Africa Region conference in Mauritius last month where five resolutions were taken. Two of them have resonance with this debate

- The Economic empowerment of women through partnerships between government, NGOs and business to focus strategically on small business development – mentoring and expertise transfer;

- Introduction of sexual reproductive health education in schools as a tool for curbing sexually transmitted diseases and early marriages or pregnancy

The two are linked. We should be marching for the economic empowerment of women and to make sure that all women and girls are protected, nurtured and educated to grab this empowerment opportunity with both hands and run with it.

What is definitely worth a march is the abuse and patriarchy so many of our girls and women experience. We should be talking about a march for a national conversation - at every level - on sex and the rape culture endemic throughout South Africa, the continent and world.

We have not been open to this conversation in our families or society, so the media has stepped in to influence our young with a sometimes warped and unreal depiction of sex. Fortunately the Deputy President was happy to introduce tasteless and odourless condoms in the National Assembly, maybe the conversation can now begin.

Did those many, many pregnant North West province underage schoolgirls recently reported on know that they did not have to submit or how to object?

Did the perpetrators know they are guilty of statutory rape?

Will our justice system make the law clear that this is rape, not entitlement?

Do our law enforcers have the will and expertise to investigate these crimes?

The law says No means NO. Are people aware that this is the case, even in a relationship or marriage? Do we know this?

Do girls know the dangers of sugar daddies and blessers? These predators should be called Hyenas, but hyenas are less dangerous! All they have to offer is a short glamourous life, one that ends in HIV, tears and the end to education.

The continued increase in HIV infections amongst our adolescent female populace is definitely worthy of a march.

Gender links spokesperson, Nomthandazo Mankazana , makes a good point that, and I quote, “ We need political buy-in. Our Leaders only talk about the abuse of women in Women’s month and during the 16 days of activism. They do not touch the topic throughout the rest of the year.”

The DA believes that the condemnation of the abuse of women should be loudly and regularly vocalised

As a country we are doing fairly well when it comes to empowering women and girls. But like a plant, they need tending and protection so they can reach their true potential.

There can be no doubt that the marchers of 1956 marchers would have agreed that this is worth marching for!

Issued by Lauren Silen, Media Liaison to the DA in the KZN Legislature, 6 September 2016