Brenda Madumise-Pajibo comments on the abuse & murder of Namhla Mtwa
“Gender activists are calling for harsh sentences for gender-based violence perpetrators, following a number of incidents in the past few weeks. Gender-Based Violence victims were laid to rest in various parts of the country today. We joined by Advocate Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, the director of Women’s empower organisation, Wise 4 Afrika.” – SABC News
Do we have to assemble to have a seat at the economic table?
The new kid on the block, Women’s Economic Assembly (WECONA) is billed as a high-level Presidential dialogue on women in the supply chain and the CEO of the country will deliver a keynote address. The dialogue takes place against the backdrop of a staggering unemployment rate amongst black women, and the covid 19 pandemic that has magnified all the existing inequalities living not just through a health crisis but an economic one too.
Robert Kelly Was Found Guilty, Do You Believe It Now?
In 2021, Robert Kelly was found guilty for his crimes and faces life in prison. What a vindicating moment. I remember being the only kid in school who knew not to sing his music. I remember my mother changing the radio station as soon as his music played. I remember my father’s shame whenever he found an R Kelly song in his playlist after having missed it when he was working on updating them. I remember the reactions to Surviving R Kelly. I remember it all, and this conviction is only a step in the right direction, but for all of the naysayers, Robert Kelly was found guilty – do you believe us now?
It’s more a rape crisis than it is about teenage pregnancy
In December of 2019, we ventured out on a roadtrip to Mafikeng in the North West Province where we were to meet with teenage mothers who had agreed to share their stories with us. The interest to meet with these girls, whose identity we will keep anonymous here, was sparked by a number of schools reporting high rates of girls being pregnant in what seemed to be within a simultaneous timeframe. More specifically, it was the Parliamentary session where Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, was questioned about the number of pregnant school girls and she reported that 121,099 girls ages 10 to 19 had fallen pregnant within a 12-month period. Below is the breakdown by province and age categories of 10 to 14 years as well as those 15 to 19 years.
Time’s Up: The new dawn on South Africa’s horizon
The sun has finally set on the time where we quietly sweep things under the rug. It has set on the time where we look away in the name of “minding our own business”. A new dawn is on the horizon, and it’s demanding change. For far too long we’ve allowed history to continually repeat itself. Men, with power, influence and money getting away with abuse and violence. For too long we’ve lived in a world broken by brutally powerful men. Times up. This past week recordings of Mohale Motaung have been circulating the internet. The tapes are brutally honest and difficult to hear. In the recordings, we hear Mohale detail his experience of 3+ years of abuse, suffered at the hands of his now estranged husband, Somizi Mhlongo.
Popularizing the National Strategic Plan on GBVF
It’s no secret that South Africa is ranked globally as the most dangerous place for women to live. At the same time, South Africa is celebrated internationally for its progressive policies and legislation on equality in general yet the aspiration of this vision is yet to be realized by many women who don’t enjoy a basic constitutional right to safety.
Under the project management of Wise 4 Afrika, we are pleased to publish an infographic representation of the NSP, the infographic package includes graphic representation of the summary NSP as well as the representation of each pillar.
Thabang Setona, Evidence That ANC Is Not Anti-GBV
Individual strides in making perpetrators of gender-based violence account for their crimes are rewarding. At the same time, we need to see a systemic change in how the law treats these perpetrators. Let’s take the case against Thabang Setona, for example.
The Apology Sunday World Should Have Published
The article Sunday World posted as an apology was a far cry from a regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure. As such, in response to what they published, we’ve penned what we believe should have published in its stead.
Predatory Pastors: A Scourge In South Africa’s Churches
Absolute power corrupts absolutely; at least, this much is true according to John Dalburg, formally known as Lord Acton. In a letter to Archbishop Mandell Creighton of the Anglican Church, Lord Acton commented on the hypocrisy of how religious leaders were being judged in comparison to commoners. He went on to write, “Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.”
Carin Bester Brings Back “She Had A Name” Performance Piece
In 2020, when asked “how are we holding up okes”, I commented, “we are living in perpetual grief….” True to its pervasive nature, gender-based violence continues to ravage the lives of women across south africa and the world at large. In response, Carin Bester, artist and activist, has relaunched her She Had A Name performance art series for 2021.