Weeping South Africa

It is a sad time in South Africa as anxiety fills the streets of our once-before "free" cities and communities. Women and children are becoming more and more fearful to live normal lives. Taking lunch breaks at the local coffee shop, being dropped off at school, visiting a friend or family member or simply just going to the post office. Social media has peaked at its worst news of women and children being raped, kidnapped and killed. Injustice has taken its toll on our nation with the government in silence and civil citizens up in arms.

Ever so quickly, news has erupted of abuse towards women in South Africa. There have always been serious articles about topics such as gangsterism and murders of our young people in our nation, but never have we experienced the severity of blatant abuse and killings of women in a span of just a few days. Somewhere we have failed as a nation. Somewhere we have failed as men. 

In the beginning, we were created as female and male. Both genders holding such richness in their framework, despite the diversity within. It is heart-wrenching to see women under such attack. These women are our mothers, sisters, friends and loved ones. Every time a woman or girl goes missing or is reported as killed, this definitely affects us. I think we are way past the "it does not affect me phase" because this poison has crept onto our doorsteps long ago already. This epidemic has grown so much, in South Africa, so much so that it is something we cannot control anymore unless drastic measures are put into place.

Every day my sister checks in with me after school to say that she is now safely home, with the usual accompaniment of what happened during the day. Today she voice notes me to say she is safe, but she goes on to say these words, "Boeta, I don't want to be stolen". These heart-wrenching words just penetrated through me as I had no response. How has this epidemic climaxed this much? This is not normal for our women and children to live life looking over their shoulders. Yet, this is the state of the nation we are living in at this time. 

We have the government take away corporal punishment in schools, thereafter, leaving the educational system into the hands of children who think school is punishment itself. We also have government pass laws allowing civilians to be more liberal in their living, yet the doing away of certain laws have more civilians being killed day by day. We have corruption leaking in the different spheres of public service and no one is taking responsibility for it. All these choices of deciding and not deciding has turned the tables in drastic measures for our nation.

It feels like the government will not take us seriously with these intense matters, and this makes me angry. What do the civilians of South Africa do if the government does not take charge? What will the outcome be of a people who have had enough? To the government officials, hear our cry! What happened when we voted for you because we believed in what you sold us on voting day? We are tired. We are suffocating. 

South Africa has a voice, but right now we are weeping with our daughters' blood running through the streets and our sisters tied up in captivity. We were not made to be in bondage to another. We were fought for, and people died to have us walk in a freedom that belongs to us. Now is the time to stand together and unite. Now is the time to lift up our voices in prayer together. We are not out-numbered, we are only divided and there is our problem!

Let us put aside our differences for one cause, for one movement!

#SAshutdown
#BringBackOurGirls