GBV is pandemic in Kanana Orkney
Mohadio Mohapi
Kanana is a small township surrounded by gold mines that are mostly derelict and abandoned, presently we are left with only three mines that are operational, namely Harmony, VMR and COM.
After the closure Anglo Gold mines, many migrant workers stayed behind with the hope of getting employment from the operating shafts around Orkney and Vaal Reefs.
We started witnessing the mushrooming of new informal settlements, most of the residents are foreign national from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. Most of them don’t have positive identity documents and their children have no birth certificates.
Most of the people who own properties are designated for RDP houses are foreign nationals who are ex mine employees. Overcrowding in our area presents us with many challenges such as GBV, human trafficking and violence.
Since April last year we have buried seven women who were brutally killed. The first woman to be killed last year on the first of April was Nonzane, she was shot in the house and second victim was killed by her younger sister’s boyfriend.
Since April 2022 the brutal killing of women in our area has become like a pandemic and that prompted us as women to march to the Orkney magistrate court.
On the morning of 17th February 2023 we had our march against GBV.
It was raining and the attendance was poor but our determination and courage saw us handing over a memorandum Orkney court manager, we also invited a family member of one of the victims. Her name is Yonela Mboshane and she a 21 year old young girl who was beaten by her boyfriend until she died.
We also invited the media as we know that our area doesn’t get much coverage but we managed to seek and demand justice for all seven women.
