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Ingquza Hill Local municipality left discontent and disaffection to the victims and survivors of violence in Lusikisiki, who had been preparing to attend an antiGBVF march and event that was to be held in Lusikisiki on this Mandela Day.
The youth, the elderly and families who lost loved ones to violent abuses were also at the venue of the event that never happened because of the ignorant Ingquza Hill Local Municipality.
The march and event was planned ahead and organized by young and active youth of Lusikisiki who are concerned by the gruesome and regular acts of Gender Based Violence in this seemingly cursed town. These young people who planned and organized the march and event are called Amaqhawe amaMpondo.
Amaqhawe amaMpondo are a music group that consists of Lusikisiki born versatile artists and activists who had planned an antiGBVF march and event to be held in the violence stricken town of Lusikisiki. The march and event were to be held in Lusikisiki where victims and survivors of violent abuses were to be given a platform to speak to officials of various departments such as the department of social development, the South African Police Services, Justice Department and many other relevant departments.
Young upcoming artist and founder of the anti GBVF march and event, Sifiso Earnest Mazombelana expressed his frustration.
“I had a vision as a young person and thought if I as a young person can take a stand, and I thought maybe the youth don’t listen to the police. It could be because they are old people. Maybe a young blood could stand and voice out they could listen. So I my team met and we decided to organize an anti GBVF march here in Lusikiski. We planned and organized a March and event and asked permission from relevant people within the municipality. They signed and agreed to our requests. We have proof, we asked for a tent, a stage, a podium, sound system because after marching we were going to meet at our venue and host an event where we were going to have speakers from departments speak to Lusikisiki people, play indigenous games and have local artists perform. But the municipality failed to deliver on all our requests. They did not give us a single thing even the venue we organized ourselves. We requested these things about three months back but we were only told this morning that the service provider is on maternity leave, they had 3 months to tell us but they did not report back to us. We were only told at 09:15 on the day if the march that unfortunately we won’t be provided with anything by the municipality.” Said the very disappointed Mazombelana.
For a cold season the weather in Lusikisiki was very warm and pleasant for a march and later an event this Mandela day but unfortunately for these activists who had used their limited resources to organize an event that did not come a success because of the municipality who failed its youth.
Emotional organizer and activist of march Zindzi Biata asserted that they went into the IHLM’s municipal manager to get his approval by signature to their requests.“We had requests of a tent, a stage, food and everything we nneded to ensure the success of the event because we invited stake holders. Whst hurts the most is that the stakeholders from government were here but had to go back because the day did not turn out how we had hoped. Secondly, people who were deployed by Treatment Action Campaign were on their way from Flagstaff but we had to turn them back midway to Lusikiski because the municipality failed to communicate with us. They have both my cellphone numbers that are both for calls and whatsApp so that if they are lazy to call me they could just text me. Same with Sifiso both his numbers are there at the municipality but not once in these 3 months have they called us to communicate that out of the requests they won’t be able to deliver because of certain reasons. Why keep quiet for all this time and only communicate when on the day of the event. And their response came after several attempts of trying to call them and their response was. They received our requests and approved by the municipal manager now the problem is that they coukdnt get the person to sign for logistics the person is on leave and others were out of the province. Now my question is whwy only tell us all these things on the day of the event why not tell us atleast a few days ahead so that we cancel the event on time. The municipality dismally failed us as the youth, just this weekend we were at the funeral of a young woman who was unremorsefully murdered and we announced this in the presence of the mayor but she said nothing.
Phalela Victor Thanda from Mbuthu community art centre said it is shocking that the municipality would be so careless about such an important inititive by the youth. Thanda added by saying “GBV affects us all and sitting and doing nothing seems like we do not care. We are saddened and surprised by the municipalitiy’s stance on this, and what leaves me with questions is that thing of church held at stadium. That thing has people who work at the municipality who have organized that thing and clearly the municipality supports that thing more than this one because we do not have people who work at the municipality of which this GBV affects us all, not all of us go to church but all of us are affected directly or indirectly by GBV. If you could listen to that church thing they attended to neglect this one, you will hear them talk about demons and mysterious creatures. Which are things we do not know, what we are sure of are our children being abused and being killed.”
– Photos/ Zubenathi Mthwazi
