(Alex Mitchley / News24 / Twitter)
(Alex Mitchley / News24 / Twitter)
Thousands of women across South Africa made their voices heard during the #TotalShutdown protests on Wednesday.
The marches – which took place in 19 different locations – filled the streets of our major cities and demanded that gender-based violence is addressed head-on by the government. In fact, the determination of one group in Pretoria even earned them an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
What do #TotalShutdown protesters want?
These women were adamant that Ramaphosa personally listens to their fears and accept a 24-point memorandum that outlines how abuse should be dealt with in this country.
Their list includes featuring more gender issues on the school curriculum, as well as enforcing stronger deterrents for abusers and establishing a specific task force that will deal with these crimes.
After hours of marching, the tireless demonstrators waited for hours outside of the Union Buildings, before the head of state appeared:
#TotalShutDown protesters addressing the @CyrilRamaphosa after staging a sit down at the Union Building @SowetanLIVE pic.twitter.com/mEPg0KigYo
— Tankiso Makhetha (@Tankmaester) August 1, 2018
Earlier in the day, the marches were entirely peaceful and brought together scores of women and non-binary citizens to drive their points home. These marginalised members of society still feel incredibly unsafe in a country where violence against women and the LGBTQI+ community is rife.
Women of all different ages, backgrounds and race made up the nationwide crowds. Some were there to tell their stories as rape survivors. Others were there to lambast the legal system, knowing that their abusers got off scot-free after hurting them.
We were blown away by their commitment and fully endorse their cause. Something has to change, and if people won’t listen to logic, the next best thing is a memorable sign.
Best signs from the #TotalShutdown marches
We salute these protesters, who made displays that ranged from thought-provoking and challenging, to comical and witty. Here are our favourites from Wednesday:
