Source: Congress of South African Trade Unions (Johannesburg)
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) in KwaZulu-Natal is enraged by the latest outbreak of rape accidents being committed against young girls and the elderly. The most horrifying and gruesome is an incident that involves a 17-year old girl that was gang-raped and mutilated in Western Cape.

We applaud members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) for apprehending the alleged perpetrators of this shameful deed and we hope the law will set an example that rape shall never be tolerated.

This ghastly deed bedevilling our society is a reflection of the deep-seated patriarchal, chauvinistic, sexist and unequal power relations between men and women in post-apartheid and modern day Capitalist South Africa.

As Numsa we abhor rape, including any form of violence directed towards the most vulnerable in society, particularly women and children.

We commit ourselves to work with the women's movements and other community based organisations, including Community Police Forums (CPF's) to reclaim our streets or community areas from the rotten scum of our society – the dangerous class – which has made our communities a haven for their barbaric acts of criminality and rape. Our streets and communities should be liberated and free-zones for children, women and the elderly to live without any fear of being raped or attacked.

All revolutionaries and activities have a role to play in stemming the tide of rape in our townships and our country. Only the decisive and united action of the people will ameliorate this situation which has resulted in our country having one of the highest incidents of rape in the world.

Photo: GCIS
South Africans Campaigning Against Sexual Violence

 

• South Africa