By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – As the country marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children on 25 November, the streets of Bloemfontein echoed with the voices of women demanding safety, justice and dignity.
On Friday, 21 November, mothers, daughters, students and workers marched through the city, united by a shared message: women and children deserve to live without fear. Many participants were survivors who have suffered in silence, stepping forward to call for change.
“We are doing this for all the survivors who are suffering in silence. This is for you,” said student activist Caitlyn Rockman.
Community organisations also joined the march, raising alarm over the deepening crisis of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) member Felicity Lekhethe said the rising statistics reflect a national emergency.
“The numbers are increasing by the hour. We said, let us collaborate and make sure our voices are heard,” she said.
Government leaders acknowledged the urgency. Free State MEC for Social Development Mathabo Hlalele said communities are putting pressure on the state to strengthen its response.
“Women and children are being killed daily. Civil society is taking the bull by the horns, calling on us to intensify the fight against GBVF,” Hlalele said.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae addressed the crowd as both a leader and a mother, warning that even homes — meant to be places of safety — have become danger zones for many families.
“I stand before you today not just as your premier, but as a woman, a mother, a sister and a daughter. For too many, the walls of their own homes have become places of terror, not sanctuary.
The streets they walk should be pathways to opportunity, not avenues of fear. We are here to say: enough is enough,” she said.
“The silence must end. The violence must end. This is not a slogan but a call to action, and I see the people of the Free State answering that call.”
The Free State Legislature also held a symbolic walk to the Fourth Raadsaal in honour of all victims of GBVF, a stark reminder of the lives lost and the work still ahead.
