Rainy dark night vigil for Cwecwe!

RAIN didn't stop gender-based violence (GBV) activists and students who spent a night vigil and candlelight outside the Union Buildings ground in Tshwane on Thursday, 3 April.

They want justice for seven-year-old Cwecwe and other victims.

Organisations such as NotInMyName, Dlalisa Moyeni Foundation, A Second Chance and others said they're doing this in response to the persistent violence, neglect, and injustice faced by vulnerable communities and survivors of GBV in Mzansi.

The organiser of the night vigil and founder of A Second Chance, Boitumelo Thage, said the purpose is to create awareness about Cwecwe, who was raped at Bergview Primary College in Matatiele, Eastern Cape in October 2024.

"We want to encourage other victims that we are here, and we support you," she said.

She said that it's not a nice feeling to spend many years not feeling safe in your own country.

"And it's not a nice feeling to live in constant worry," she said.

Dlalisa Moyeni Foundation founder Bongani Skhosana said: "The Cwecwe incident angered us as an organisation where a kid is not safe going to school. A school must be a safe haven for kids, but it becomes a crime scene, a place where small girls can be raped without accountability."

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He said he is angered by the situation. However, the point of a night vigil is to show they are not happy about the situation.

"The perpetrator must be dealt with," said Bongani.

Themba Masango, NotInMyName general-secretary, said: "We can't continue to be on a standstill and to wait. We are here tonight in the rain to say that justice must prevail. We can't allow the schools to become crime scenes. This heinous crime must not happen again."

Keamogetswe Masike, president of South African Student Federation, said: "We are trying to respond to the injustice that happened to Cwecwe. We want the rapist to be arrested immediately, and the police involved in this case must be held accountable."

He said they're also raising awareness about GBV that is at its peak.

Thabo Seete, a dad from Joburg, said: "We seek justice, and it must be served for Cwecwe."

Zimvozethu Qotoyi (20), a Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University student, said: "We are here for all victims of sexual, domestic abuse and gender-based violence. We want justice for everyone. We are against rapists."

Mahlatse Letsoalo, another Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University student, said: "We need a state of emergency for this pandemic. Women and kids are not safe because of us men."