BY LERATO PHOSISI
Lenasia South stood still and then it stood together. In a powerful and emotional display of unity, residents of all ages filled the streets for “Walk For Her,” a community walk against gender-based violence that turned a local initiative into a national statement: women should be able to walk, run, work and live without fear.
The initiative, driven by community activist Kishore Badal, brought together community leaders, elders, youth, and notably a strong contingent of men who said enough is enough. Badal, who spearheaded the walk, delivered a stark reminder of what is at stake.
“Women are the pillars of our homes, our schools, our entire society. If the pillar breaks, everything collapses. They need to be protected, not preyed upon,” he said.
The walk was not just symbolic. It was a protest against a crisis that is claiming lives daily across South Africa, a country grappling with one of the highest rates of GBV in the world.
Community leader Ibrahim Muhammad did not mince his words. “We’ve never witnessed such traumatic tragedy in this country where women are losing their lives like flies. Our government has to do something now. Women and children are dying every single day,” Muhammad said.
From young boys holding placards to elderly men walking side-by-side with mothers and daughters, the message from Lenasia South was clear and resounding: protecting women is not a women’s issue, it is a community duty.
As the crowd moved through the streets, chanting for justice and safety, one sentiment echoed louder than all
in Lenasia South, silence is no longer an option.
