By Amahle Cele
Every Wednesday and Friday, a group of local women take to the mats for an empowering session of karate and boxing classes at St Mary’s DCC.
Instructor Mzwandile Matebese, who runs Joza Karate Club, said the classes celebrate the strength of women during Women’s Month. He said the club aimed to spread self-defense skills throughout the community, especially among women, who are often victims of violence. “As a country, we live in dangerous situations, and it is my objective to teach self defense to anyone who is willing to learn,” he said.
For event organizer, Olwethu Kota, the karate and boxing classes were an important way to empower women and promote safety in their lives. “Women have faced abuse in both physical and emotional ways,” she said. “These classes are designed to give them the tools to protect themselves and to feel more confident in the face of danger.”
South Africa has long struggled with high rates of gender-based violence (GBV), with many women feeling unsafe in their daily lives. According to a 2020 report by the South African Police Service, a woman is murdered every three hours in South Africa, and there were nearly 50,000 reported rapes in the country that year.
While self-defense classes like these are an important step towards empowering women and promoting safety, the widespread sentiment is that there is still much work to be done to address the underlying issues of gender inequality and violence against women in South Africa.
One of the participants, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke of the benefits of the class: “It was a very nice experience, and I feel that I can protect myself after this because it gives you the confidence to face anyone.”
The classes take place every Wednesday and Friday at St Mary’s DCC from 5.30-6.30 pm. Matebese and Kota encourage women of all ages to join these sessions for a fun and empowering hour of karate and boxing training.
