Local celebrities like Lynette Ntuli, Ntando Kunene, and Brumilda Van Rensburg have donated their voices to the stories shared by incredible South African women who have survived Gender-Based Violence.
South Africa (10 December 2021) – Today marks the final day of ‘16 Days of Activism‘, and the “Donate Your Voice” initiative launched by Joko and POWA (People Opposing Woman Abuse) this year has been a powerful one.
Local celebrities and influencers, DJ’s and presenters donated their voices to share the harrowing stories of domestic abuse.
Several courageous South African women stepped forward to share their stories. These stories are harrowing, but they are also emboldened by hope and have the power to empower other women in the same situations, to walk away and get help.
If these stories inspire even one woman to report her attacker, they have changed a life! As we read each one, we can clearly see the woman standing in front of us, claiming back her life with every word. They have each chosen to share their story in their own way.
South African actress Brumilda Van Rensburg donated her voice to tell Anna Leite’s story. Anna shared her story as a powerful poem.
These are some of the other stories you can find on the website.
“HE BECAME MY STALKER”.
“Just checking up on you”, he would say. But it wasn’t about love. It was about control. The phone calls increased. I would have to send him a location pin to prove I wasn’t cheating on him. He stole money from me and posted lewd pictures of me online.
When I told him it was over, he entered my home with keys he had cut. I fled with my son. The police arrived. Inside a bag he was carrying, they found a taser, baton, knife and knuckle-duster… I am one of the lucky ones that survived.
Now I want to empower other women and tell them: Don’t let abuse crush you. Listen to your gut, stay strong, and never go back” – Rhukaya Abdurrahman.
Lynette Ntuli donated her voice to tell Mbalenhle Xulu’s story of abuse during her marriage.
“I LEARNED TO FIGHT BACK”
“A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts”. For 15 years, I blamed the violence on him being drunk. He would try to strangle me. He even bit me on the cheek. And I would simply turn the other one. I buried myself in my work. No one could know my weakness.
I took up self-defence. To defend myself – from my own husband! After finding the courage to finally talk about it, I filed for divorce. If I could offer any woman advice: Stop making excuses for your partner. Yes, marriage is about commitment and compromise. But if your partner is an abuser, then it’s not.
Find your confidence and your self-esteem again. No-one deserves to be treated that way.” – Erica Kornau.
“THE FALLEN POLICEMAN”
“He was a policeman. But he was also an abuser. I would lay charges against him, but he would make them disappear and lay charges against me. This went on for six long years. But I was lucky because POWA intervened, and they got my husband removed from his job.
I am determined to share my story, so I’ve written a book called Rose Amongst Thorns. Woman must not believe that domestic violence is normal. It’s not. As women, we’re taught to respect our husbands, to protect their reputations and not to speak negatively about them. But when husbands abuse wives, they forfeit the right to be respected. As women, we have the right to speak out about it.” – Rose Vawda.
It takes strength for the survivors of domestic violence in South Africa to speak out, help #EndDomesticSilence and donate your voice to get survivor stories heard at www.joko.co.za
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