Attack on South African woman activist
By Anthony Benbow
Two recent events have pushed the shockingly high incidence of violence against women in South Africa back into the public spotlight.
The first was a brutal rape committed on Robben Island, the former prison. The second was the courageous stand taken by the woman, who spoke out against such attacks and called for an end to all forms of violence against women.
Nomboniso Gasa is a 29-year-old activist and member of South Africa's National Gender Commission, and a former head of the ANC's Commission for Women's Emancipation. She is married to ANC MP Raymond Suttner.
Nomboniso was attacked and raped on January 21, while working on a project to transform the Robben Island prison into a museum.
On January 23, Nomboniso made public her experiences in statements to the media and South Africa's parliament. "I have decided to come out publicly with my experience because ... I do not want to carry the burden of silence and shame usually carried by women who have gone through this. I do not want to be reduced to merely a victim, a statistic", said Nomboniso.
Although the rape occurred on an island with only about 50 men on it at the time, it was several days before serious action was taken.
This included the removal of Kevin Jones, the officer initially appointed to head the inquiry, after public outrage followed the discovery that Jones himself had been accused of raping a 13-year-old in 1991. A police inquiry at the time had found him guilty of "misconduct".
Initial inquiries were not completed until nearly a week after the attack.
Nomboniso said: "I hope our government will see violence against women as a priority. My experience is part of a broader context where women are denigrated, assaulted and used as scapegoats."
Other organisations have responded to the attack. The ANC Women's League staged a march through Cape Town.