THE EFF SENDS CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF FEZEKILE 'KHWEZI' KUZWAYO

The EFF sends its condolences to the friends and family of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo, the woman this country has come to know only as Khwezi. We are saddened at the untimely passing away of this icon of women's struggle against the scourge of rape that has befallen this country. She represents the epitome of the kind of courage the country needs in women to stand up against this act of crime.

Khwezi will be etched in our memory as the stalwart who challenged power on the abuse of young women by older men, on the contentious and serious issue of rape and how it has in fact found root in the highest offices in the land. We salute this young woman for the bravery she has shown in her personal struggle against a much publicised rape case but never once showed signs of giving up. We salute her for being the beacon of light for many other women who are subjected to the same abuse of power by individuals who hold the highest offices in the land. We salute her also for the work she has done in HIV/AIDS activism. She has contributed immensely to the eradication of the stigma around the disease

The country must salute this brave icon by beefing up efforts to curb this scourge of woman abuse in general, and rape in particular. Fezekile was lucky for her case to have received the attention it received because it was such a high-profile case. Hundreds of thousands of other women have not been as lucky, some still waiting for their cases to be attended after many years. We call on the government of the ANC to honour this young brave woman by attending to the plight of these women.

To the family of Fezekile, may the good Lord and those who go before us lay their comfort upon you. Your daughter/sister did not go quietly into that good night. She did not disappear into oblivion of history. Her name will reverberate in our minds and be remembered in our history as an important hallmark of the struggle against rape and AIDS activism. May her soul rest in peace. May our continent produce more women like.

In her honour, we end off this message with a poem she wrote after rape case:

I am Khanga

I wrap myself around the curvaceous bodies of women all over Africa

I am the perfect nightdress on those hot African nights

The ideal attire for household chores

I secure babies happily on their mother’s backs

I am the perfect gift for new bride and new mother alike

Armed with proverbs, I am vehicle for communication between women

I exist for the comfort and convenience of a woman

But no no no make no mistake …

I am not here to please a man

And I certainly am not a seductress

Please don’t use me as an excuse to rape

Don’t hide behind me when you choose to abuse

You see

That’s what he said my Malume

The man who called himself my daddy’s best friend

Shared a cell with him on [Robben] Island for ten whole years

He said I wanted it

That my khanga said it

That with it I lured him to my bed

That with it I want you is what I said

But what about the NO I uttered with my mouth

Not once but twice

And the please no I said with my body

What about the tear that ran down my face as I lay stiff with shock

In what sick world is that sex

In what sick world is that consent

The same world where the rapist becomes the victim

The same world where I become the bitch that must burn

The same world where I am forced into exile because I spoke out?

This is NOT my world

I reject that world

My world is a world where fathers protect and don’t rape

My world is a world where a woman can speak out

Without fear for her safety

My world is a world where no one , but no one is above the law

My world is a world where sex is pleasurable not painful

- Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 10 October 2016