A gender-based violence (GBV) protest is under way in Johannesburg, with Men For Her chairperson Oscar Kanyane expressing disappointment over the low turnout of men at the march.
The group is marching from Joburg Park to the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein to protest against gender-based violence and the killing of women in Gauteng.
Kanyane said men have a responsibility to stand up for women and speak out against GBV.
“We are here in response to what we’ve seen transpiring in our country, and ours is just to say it’s enough. We’ve called all nobodies that you can think of to say, let’s come together as men. Our objective is to build communities, men in communities.”
However, Kanyane said he was saddened that more men had not joined the protest.
“So it shows that there’s no intention from South African men. There isn’t. It’s the truth. Men of South Africa are for Portuguese and hiking, Jeep groups and so forth. But when it comes to a real fight for women, they’re not there. They are on Twitter commenting about politics.”
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero joined the marchers and urged them not to be discouraged by the turnout.
Morero said movements can start small before growing into broader campaigns.
“When you start organising, it doesn’t matter what the numbers are. When you start with a small number, and you build and you build, eventually it becomes a movement.”
He said communities have a responsibility to protect women and continue raising awareness about GBV.
“It also means ourselves, as communities, as members of the movement or any other organisation, we have a responsibility to protect our womenfolk.”
Morero described the protest as a positive initiative and called for it to continue.
“I want to say to the people who organised, this was a good initiative, and we must never stop, so it must run.”
The march comes amid heightened concern over the killings of women in Ekurhuleni.
Nine women have been found dead in the metro in recent weeks, with police investigations into the incidents continuing.
Morero said South Africa must continue working towards ending violence against women and children.
