Claremont police and community unite in powerful stand against gender-based violence

Claremont police made their voices heard against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) when they picketed and took part in the G20 Women’s Shutdown today, Friday, November 21.

Claremont police officers and administrators, along with Livingstone High School pupils, held their picket demonstration at the very scene where UCT student Uyinene Mrtwetyana was raped and murdered in 2019  by postal employee Luyanda Botha at the Clareinch Post Office (“Student’s murder causes uproar,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, September 5, 2019).

The G20 Women’s Shutdown campaign was organised by Women for Change (WFC) a non-profit that is dedicated to fighting GBVF.

Claremont police were wearing black and purple and were displaying signs which read: “We are people, not property,” “Break the silence, stop the violence,” “We refuse to be silent about sexual violence”, and many more.

They were also joined by Livingstone High School pupils who were chanting “no means no."

Claremont police station commander, Colonel Maree Louw, said they gathered at the post office to raise awareness about the gender-based violence in the country. “It is a pandemic - our women and children are being killed daily, we are doing this demonstration for all the women who were brutally killed,” she said.

Colonel Louw said that Uyinene was brutally murdered at the post office, and Anene Booysen was brutally killed. “I was working at these places where these brutal murderers happened, and I am saying enough is enough,” she said.

In First Avenue, Claremont, a handful of women from the Mater Domini Home also wore black and purple and stood with signs that read, “Stop GBV.”

Mater Domini chairperson, Bernadette Ross, said her organisation represents destitute women and women who have experienced abuse. “We participated in this shutdown to show solidarity with every other organisation that participated today, which is taking a stand against women abuse. Many of the women who come to Mater Domini go through the crisis of being abused, and we are promoting that this should be recognised as a national disaster and not just a crisis,” she said.

In Observatory, Cape Mental Health (CMH) employees also wore black stands in solidarity with victims of GBV.

CMH spokesperson Barbara Meyer said women with intellectual or psychosocial disability are more vulnerable to becoming victims of GBV. "The trauma of GBV violence can last for generations. Survivors have a higher risk of post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety," she said.

Ms Meyer said GBV and mental health held a double stigma, which forced women into silence and shame. "Ending the stigma of GBV and mental health with give women the courage to speak up and get support," she said.