Thousands of women march against abuse in South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Thousands of women marched across major cities in South Africa Wednesday, protesting violence and the abuse of women.

“It’s high time the police protect women from abuse by taking our cases seriously,” Mary Nolutando, marching in the capital Pretoria, told Anadolu Agency.

She claimed that rape is rampant at university campuses in Pretoria and whenever or not they report the matter to police, it is not taken seriously.

“We are tired. We’ve had enough,” Nolutando said.

Almost a quarter of a million women are raped in South Africa annually, Bheki Cele, the nation’s police minister, told Parliament in June.

Activists say most rape victims shrink from reporting the crime to the police, as they are so poorly treated.

“Why should a man kill a woman he claims to love?” asked protestor Shakira Mohammed aloud.

Marches are being held in the cities of Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town, where they hope to hand over their list of demands to authorities.

In Pretoria, voters are expected to give their memorandum to the presidency, and in Cape Town marchers will hand over their list of demands to Parliament.