"Listen to the voices of women and children, not the dominant voices of the perpetrators." That was the message of a group of around 60 people who marched from the Joza Police Station to the Magistrate's court on Tuesday 6 October.
"Listen to the voices of women and children, not the dominant voices of the perpetrators." That was the message of a group of around 60 people who marched from the Joza Police Station to the Magistrate's court on Tuesday 6 October.
The group, which was met by senior magistrate Petrus van Vuuren, said the justice system was failing them by releasing people who continued to commit crime
. "They always give the offenders free bail or release them on R500 bail. Is that how much our lives cost?" asked one of the participants, who asked not to be named.
"People are using our kids to commit crime and if those people are arrested, soon you will see them walking around free. "People are being killed and mutilated every weekend and the justice system is not doing anything about that. We cannot just stand and watch something like that happening."
Five murders in and near Joza in recent weeks have caused alarm among residents. Among the demands listed in the petition that the group handed over was that the courts should listen to the voices of women and children.
"We demand a justice system that upholds the rights of women and children, [with]even more bias towards women and children's rights. "We demand impunity for sexual violence, women and children abuse. "We demand that our courts must listen to the voices of women and children, not the dominant voices of the perpetrators," read the document.
After signing and accepting it, Van Vuuren briefly addressed the crowd. "We highly appreciate this and we are taking your concern very seriously," he said. "It means that you care about your communities. We will now take this up now." B
ulelwa Mbali, who was part of the march, said people were very concerned about the recent murders and had decided to do something.
"As people of Grahamstown we have a very serious problem. We are not happy as parents because every weekend and especially on Sundays, the bodies of murdered women are found. We appeal to government to help us in this matter.
"Our kids love going out to public places and we can't help that. We can’t even go to work or clinics early in the morning. The criminals are waiting for us in the streets. "They want to rape and kill us… people have to make sure that they are inside their houses late in the evening. "Government should please do something about this," said the woman."
Unemployed Peoples Movement leader, Ayanda Kota, who was part of the march pointed out that some say that crime has risen because of unemployment. He said even if unemployment were the reason for crime, people couldn't fold their arms and do nothing.
"Women [continue to be]sexual victims. We will never wait for a socialist country to eradicate these things. We will take on the struggles now," said Kota.
