RE: ANCWL ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
The ANCWL (African National Congress Women's League) is disgusted by yet another incident of gang rape that has cost a teenage girl her life. As South Africans we need to come together as a nation and declare enough is enough. The scourge of rape cannot be seen as a women's issue any longer but rather all South Africans of all creeds need to come together as a nation and take a stand against this vulgar and despicable act of sexual crime.
Sexual crimes against women and children is a national shame and we need men and women to take responsibility in assisting authorities by reporting incidents or rape or sexual abuse, and assisting police in ensuring that these despicable characters face the full might of the law. Rapists need to know that no one in moral society will protect them once they have committed such a heinous crime.
As the Women's League we are baffled by the high number of incidents of rape in our society and we have not been able to find solid research as to why we see so much rape in South Africa, as an organization that cares deeply for the wellbeing of all women in society this is deeply concerning for us. It is difficult to find reason behind the many different acts of gang rape, child rape, rape of the elderly, corrective rape and male rape.
Men and women need to join hands around this issue and fight this epidemic together. The Women's League and a few women's NGO's can no longer be the lone voices crying out against rape, everyone in society needs to take a stand and fight this morality issue together as a nation with one strong voice saying "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WE STAND UNITED AS A NATION AGAINST RAPE!"
We cannot let another girl or woman suffer like 17 year old Anene Booysen who died this morning, did. We commend her for her bravery and for identifying one of her attackers before she succumbed to her terrible injuries. We are confident police will work tirelessly to find her other attacker and ensure justice is served.
Statement issued by Troy Martens on behalf of the ANC Women's League, February 6 2013
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