Gender-based violence and child abuse: Students run for justice

No charges will be brought in the rape case of 7-year-old Cwecwe from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape due to a lack of evidence to proceed, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has decided.

Cwecwe was allegedly raped at her school in October 2024. Her story captivated the country and brought attention to the need to combat violence against women and children in South Africa. Approximately 11,800 rapes were reported in South Africa from October to December 2024, according to the latest police statistics.

The community in Matatiele took to the streets in April, also protesting at Bergview College where the incident allegedly took place. Thandekile Mtshizana, Cwecwe’s mother, told The New York Times on 9 May that all she wants is justice, but no one has been arrested yet. Police told parliament in April that the investigation was ongoing, according to the news report.

eNCA reported on 17 May that, according to the NPA, there is not enough evidence to successfully bring charges. No foreign DNA was found.

The little girl’s plight also touched students on the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University. Members of the Potchefstroom Run Club move with purpose every Saturday, but at 06:00 on 5 April their weekly run had a higher purpose: Justice for the 7-year-old and awareness about gender-based violence and child abuse.

Around 30 students braved the rain and tackled the 3.6km route from the main gate to the engineering campus. Naledi Jada Mangole, a third-year law student and organiser of the club, said, “I think run clubs are a different and creative way of influencing people and raising awareness. They have been getting a lot of attention and attracting a lot of people lately. Not everyone believes in marches, so I think events like these are a great way to influence other people.”

DESERVED JUSTICE

Siyabulela Ofentse Seoloana, a social work student in her third year, said: “I strongly believe that the youth of the country should be involved in such events because we are part of the society, we are part of the citizens of the country, but also it is important to know what’s happening around us. We can’t be clueless about the systems of our country; the country’s state.”

Seloana added that the community is frustrated, saying, “Yes, it is involved but also angry, because what does it say when one of us in the community is violated and there is no justice served? We don’t have to be outside marching, protesting, writing on boards for our voices to be heard, for one of us to get the justice that they deserve.”

Tshepang Pitso, a third-year psychology student, was late due to the weather and missed the run. She was disappointed that more people did not join the event, saying, “I would have loved to have participated in the run, but it was raining, and it was early in the morning, around 6:00, so I didn’t make it in time. Many of us could have gone there despite the rain. We could have shown up in large numbers, keeping in mind that Cwecwe was … the reason we were doing it.”

Mangole said the event was not just an “aesthetic” to her. “I didn’t use this case to get more runners for my club. If it were any other normal Saturday, I would have likely just cancelled the run due to the rain, but because this week we were running for a purpose and for something we believed in, I wanted everyone to know that nothing could stop us from making our voices heard.”