Thousands of learners in Cape Town turned up early in the day to assemble and unite against rape and violence against women and children.
The learners from Strandfontein Primary and Strandfontein Secondary schools gathered to make a pledge as part of the StopRape campaign led by the Department of Basic Education in partnership with LeadSA.
The combined gathering of the schools took place on 1 March when 10.2 million learners across the country also joined in to make a strong statement against gender violence.
President Jacob Zuma had launched the StopRape campaign on 28 February at Glendale High in Mitchell’s Plain.
The campaign is intended to raise awareness about rape and to encourage learners to report such incidents.
Addressing the audience, the President said nobody had a right to interfere with the rights of another individual.
“We have to build a more caring society in which the rights of all, especially the rights of women and children are respected,” said the President. President Zuma said over 64 thousands cases of rapes were reported to the police last year in 2012.
He said the Constitution guaranteed the safety of every citizen’s life and encouraged those who were present to know their rights, which can only be learned through the application of the Constitution.
“We know that there are boys and men who have been victims of sexual assaults. This must also stop. I trust that you do make time to read and understand the constitution,” he said.
President Zuma assured the Glendale learners that government would make it a point that their rights are protected.
At the same gathering Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga told learners that the ongoing violence directed at women and children would not be tolerated.
“With such levels of violence, sexual offences, abuse, rape and rampant bullying in our schools, it would be impossible to achieve the goal of securing peace and comfort for all our people as we did declare in the Freedom Charter,” said the Minister.
“We all want a caring and prosperous society. And so, together we must find solutions to gender-based violence, abuse and rape of women and children, explained the Minister." So don’t whisper in the deep.
Speak out against abuse, speak out against violence, speak out against rape, speak out against bullying, speak out against drugs!” concluded Minister Motshekga.
The President applauded Basic Education and Lead SA for coming up with an initiative of this kind. The President encouraged all South Africans to support this campaign so that these escalating issues are stopped urgently.
