Youth activist organises mass protest against sexual violence

TALI FEINBERG

Mirkin was one of the main organisers of the protest on 5 September. It’s estimated that between 17 000 and 20 000 people attended.

The 25-year-old studied political science, economics, and international relations at the University of Cape Town (UCT). She is currently national press officer for the Democratic Alliance in parliament.

In addition, she recently began her own non-profit organisation (NPO) called Fight Back SA, which empowers women by teaching them self-defence. “We believe we can reduce rape and gender-based violence by empowering women through self-defence. Our team works tirelessly each day to ensure that young women are able to take their safety into their own hands,” says Mirkin.

All of this energy and passion was fuelled into the historic march last week.

After finding out that UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana had been raped and murdered at a Cape Town post office, Mirkin and an old friend from university decided they had had enough. “It was time to get the government’s attention, to show that hearts were breaking. I teamed up with Jessie Clarke-McLeod. Without her, none of it would have been possible,” she says.

The two women decided to host the gathering the Monday night before, meaning they had 48 hours to mobilise support, get permits, and organise all the other logistics. “It took an exceptional amount of focus, commitment, and hard work,” she says.

“In all honesty, we didn’t plan a march. We planned a beautiful memorial service to honour the lives we had lost. I think this is why the president joined us, because we were mourning, instead of trying to rip things apart. We created a safe space of engagement, and the proof lies in the fact that there was zero destruction of property, zero arrests, and zero injuries.”

They encouraged attendees to wear black and bring placards, which displayed startling messages of sadness, anger, frustration, and loss. There were tributes to victims of sexual violence by Carli van Wyk, the president of the Stellenbosch University Student Representative Council; Lucinda Evans of the Philisa Bethu Women’s Centre; and Alvina Spikes, a Mitchell’s Plain community leader. Mirkin personally handed over a memorandum to Ramaphosa and presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko.

Ramaphosa wasn’t on the programme, but he took the podium nevertheless. In his address, he told the crowd that he empathised with those gathered, and would meet Mrwetyana’s family. He said the outcomes of the National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Summit were in the process of being implemented, and he would get parliament to debate the issue.

“Men who rape and kill women must stay in jail for life,” Ramaphosa said, adding that they shouldn’t be granted bail. He promised that the government would address the issue of harsher penalties. He also promised that it would strengthen the criminal justice system so that police, prosecutors, and the judicial system understood that crimes committed against women and children were priority crimes. Ramaphosa said the government wanted to increase the number of special courts to deal with these crimes, and it would increase aid and funding for shelters.

“It was an honour to have him there, and some of the things he had to say had real meaning,” Mirkin says. “I hope he was able to see the sadness of everyone present, and it spurs him on to enact a high degree of change.”

Where to from here for this passionate and dynamic youth leader? She says Fight Back SA will continue to teach the principles of krav maga (an Israeli self-defence technique) for free to all the women it can reach in underprivileged and crime-ridden areas.

“We would love support in the form of donations, be it monetary, through volunteer work, or by donating items such as pepper spray. Business can contribute in many ways. If you think you can sponsor a security detail into Khayelitsha, or the petrol for us to drive to remote locations, it would all help.”

To those feeling disillusioned about South Africa, especially the youth, Mirkin says, “Contribute to a cause that involves the youth so that you know you are contributing to changing that disillusionment. By making a difference, we can change lives, and create a more engaged, responsible, and respectful youth.”

Many young Jewish people attended the rally. Tziyona Cohen, a Grade 10 pupil at Herzlia High School, was part of a Herzlia Middle and High School group. “You wouldn’t expect to feel such a strong connection to a group of strangers,” she says. “We were forced to let go of our different backgrounds, and focus on what brought us together in the first place: the fight to end gender-based violence. I left the event with conflicting feelings: a sense of hopelessness at the reality of the pain and suffering our women experience daily, but also a sense of empowerment from this determined and inspirational movement.

“The majority of the participants were young. It’s clear that the youth of South Africa is confronting a critical problem that its elders have failed to address,” she says. “I’m proud to be a part of a generation like this, but more so to be able to represent the Jewish youth of South Africa.”

Habonim Dror was also in attendance, many of its members in their trademark blue chultzot (movement shirts). “As we saw the events of the past week unfolding, the leadership made a decision to suspend day to day activities in Cape Town to participate in these historic events,” says Erin Gordon, the movement’s s’ganit mazkir klali (deputy national chairperson).

“The movement has recognised gender-based violence as a crisis for many years. In 2017, at our national veida [an event where they can amend the constitution], feminism was added as one of the movement’s 12 core principles.

“As a movement that is trying to do its bit in making South Africa a safer, more equal society, we couldn’t stand by idly while our sisters took to the streets.” Habonim also attended a march in Johannesburg.