Kraaifontein police station commander Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk Photo: Dominic Adriaanse Kraaifontein police station commander Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk Photo: Dominic Adriaanse
About 300 Kraaifontein women celebrated Women’s Day on Thursday by forming a human chain for about two hours to demonstrate that women can make a difference in preventing the scourge of violence and abuse against women and children.
Fresh from participating in the chain that stretched from the corners of Frans Conradie and Van Riebeeck streets, Kraaifontein police station commander Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk said: “We had a beautiful women’s today. We thought, as women, we’re going to stand together, form a chain, celebrate Women’s Day, pray together, sing together, toyi-toyi together and just show that when women stand together, we can make a difference in violence against women and children. It was a powerful day with plus, minus 300 ladies.”
Van Niekerk said it had been overwhelming when some men joined the chain to show that they abstain from hitting, swearing and misusing women.
“It was powerful, because now we can feel how the women of 1956 felt, with 20 000 women standing together, fighting for us as women for equal rights,” said Van Niekerk.
She added that the chain was a new joint initiative of the Kraaifontein police and Community Policing Forum, whose usual large, annual joint event is reserved for Youth Day celebrations.
SAPS Brigadier Gerda van Niekerk, commander of the Kraaifontein police station, lauds the around 300 women who formed a human chain in the suburb over violence against women and children on Women’s Day. Video: Raphael Wolf
John Smidt, CPF co-ordinator for the area’s neighbourhood watches, said it was the first time that the women of Kraaifontein had had an event like this.
“It was held in a very good spirit. People were singing, praying and chanting slogans such as ‘No to Crime’, ‘No violence against women and children’ and ‘No gangsterism and drugs’. The women were from all spheres of life – young, middle-aged and elderly.”
Smidt said Traffic and Law Enforcement officers and representatives of the area’s 21 neighbourhood watches were present at the chain, which was held from 10am until midday.
Van Niekerk thanked everyone who had been present at the event and challenged all women in the Kraaifontein community to join the Women’s Day event when it is held again next year.
raphael.wolf@inl.co.za