The Stellenbosch community has seen increased civic engagement against gender-based violence following the discovery of the eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk’s body.
The murder of Van Wyk earlier this month has sparked a new wave of community activism across the Western Cape, with local organisations speaking out and demanding change from the government.
ILLUSTRATION by Savannah Bacon.
Non-profit organisation, SA Women Fight Back (SAWFB) have launched a petition entitled “Justice for Tazne van Wyk” which calls for harsher punishment for violent offenders, as well as stricter parole and bail regulations. By the time of writing, the petition has gained over 54 000 signatures. “We want answers, we want action,” said Bronwyn Litkie, founder of SAWFB.
The Stellenbosch University Anti-GBV movement was not able to comment immediately, but said it would be conducting a meeting in the near future after which it would be able to speak to the media.
GRAPH: Graph depicting the total number of sexual related offences per relevant precinct for 2019. Created by Savannah Bacon with statistics sourced from www.crimestatssa.com.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch resident Veronique Jephtas, who’s poem “Dear Mr President” went viral in 2019, has said that gender-based violence has left everyone unsafe.
“That is what’s scary,” said Jephtas.
She responded to the most recent developments with another poem titled “The Apology We Never Got”. Both poems address GBV and specifically the lack of governmental action.
“The poem is about the continuing of the conversation that I have been having, that we all have been having, but clearly we have been having it with ourselves,” said Jephtas.
Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, said in a statement to MatieMedia that men need to take responsibility.
“We need men to take responsibility, to seek help for violent behaviour and substance abuse where necessary, and to stand up to gender stereotypes and gender-based violence where it occurs,” said Winde.
SUPPLIED by SAWFB: Crowd protesting gender-based violence outside of Parliament in 2019.
SAWFB will be leading a protest on the matter, #projectnamuhla, on 7 March, said Litkie. SAWFB will meet at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town and will march in unison to the Athlone police station.