Some Good, Some Bad: Life of Women in South Africa.
By Tebogo Mokgadi
In and beyond the month of August, an unavoidable narrative about women always lingers. The tragedy tends to overshadow the good that women do in our society. Victimhood takes precedence from the sheroism that South African women represent through their deeds and dignity. Nonetheless, celebrating these staunch figures in society brings forth a sense of pride to the phrase “wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo!”
It is true that women are exterminated by the masses in this country. Femicide continues to be a moral catastrophe in modern South African society. Some of our sisters face continuous physical and sexual violence perpetuated by their loved ones and neighbors. Women often feel that they are being targeted, similar to how Nazi Germany did to Jewish people. Recently, two women were found murdered and were fed to pigs by a farm owner in Limpopo. It’s alleged that this farm owner was assisted by his employees. Women who were only scrounging for spoilt remains to feed their families faced the barrel of a gun—the wrath of an evil man.
There is still persistence that pushes women to be the heroic figures in society despite the retribution of then being of a fairer sex. Given the backdrop of the Limpopo story, an all female led organization called Food Forward SA (FFSA) has set itself to play a vital role in alleviating hunger in impoverished communities. Food Forward SA has pledged to bring forth food security in the nation. It’s branch manager, Dinaane Mutedi, says that this is the time for togetherness and bring the changes needed for a prosperous society. Equality for women benefits all of society!
Even with men being the carnivorous cretins bringing cries to women in this country, some see the vision and the need to include women in every aspect of building South Africa. An amazing takeout in August is Chief Justice Designate, Mandisa Maya, hailing the strides the outgoing Chief Justice Zondo made in his tenure. She says that was he’s done is “commendable” as he’s manged to diversify the judiciary, including more women, after a 27 year streak where there was only one female judge president.
South Africa has blemishes due to a tumultuous past filled with segregation and exclusion within all classes, races, and societal structures. Though women have faced the worst out of everyone, they have played pivotal roles in the progression of this sovereign nation and deserve to be hailed, uplifted and elevated. In August and beyond, the celebration of women must continue on a daily bases. We must unapologetically go the extra mike in valuing their importance in our lives. After all, women are the courageous cradle them whence emanates progress, freedom and civilization itself. “Wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo!”
A graduate of BeCoCo partner SisterBoss Academy & Company, Tebogo Mokgadi is a youth Writer-In-Residency with BeCoCo
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