“I think the Kwezi issue is a reflection of our democracy”. Their strength and perseverance has been pivotal to the mainstreaming of gender issues in contemporary South Africa. “One should look at it within that context”, Shabangu said at the 60th Women’s Day commemoration. Those matters have been dealt with by my colleagues responsible for security.
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On Saturday, four women stood in front of Zuma and held up signs protesting his acquittal for rape 10 years ago, as the president spoke at an announcement of election results.
Zuma was acquitted of raping the then 31-year-old HIV-positive family friend at his home in Johannesburg in 2005.
Facing the audience with their backs to Zuma, the women continued their silent protest for the duration of his short speech.
He seemed oblivious to the protest.
President Jacob Zuma opened the Women’s Living Heritage Monument, with statues of Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, Helen Joseph, Lilian Ngoyi and Rahima Moosa.
“The march to this Union Buildings in 1956 by 20 000 women was not only against the carrying of passes by African women but also the challenges and the oppressive system that sought to deepen the inequalities in terms of race and gender which resulted in the current triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality which burden women the most”, De Bruyn said as she addressed an annual Women’s Day commemoration in Pretoria.
“Today our guiding framework to build an equitable country, the National Development Plan makes firm recommendations that the transformation of the economy should involve active participation and empowerment of women, and that the role of women as leaders in all sectors of society should be actively supported”. Since South Africa attained its freedom and democracy in 1994, women have made strides in taking their rightful places in society.
For this year’s commemorations, Zuma delivered the national message at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. This march is regarded as one of the defining moments in the country’s history of the struggle for liberation.
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From the Lillian Ngoyi Square, the senior officials were set to march to the Union Buildings along same the route taken by the 1956 women.
