Dear Mama Lillian Ngoyi
I was walking on a street named after you when this happened; I wish you were still here with us. I saw on the front page of a popular news-paper a person whom parents trust with the foundation of their kid’s life holding what I thought was a white flag but to my surprise turned out to be a gigantic underwear with Angie Motshekga’a name on it . This was supposed to be a teacher’s strike I thought to myself, and how that relates to what is seemingly a women’s under wear puzzled me… My goodness.
Mama Lilian I am sorry to inform you that the women who were part of that strike didn’t protect one of their own. They cheered and danced; it somehow never occurred to them that maybe patriarchy was dissatisfied with her being in power as she is a women. I’m sorry I’m angry, but Mama Lilian how can I not be when the ANCYL target Mama Thuli Madonsela for doing her job, this is wrong and the ANCWL cheered while this was happening and said to the kids go on tell her. Mama Lilian please convene a meeting with all the fallen Heroines; tell them the struggle for equality is still not yet achieved.
Mama Lillian we can only hope as a country that next year the ANC will elect a women to succeed the current president. That will be a monumental milestone for all the black women and women in General, but Mama we can never be sure that panties with her name on them won’t be displayed out in the streets for all to see. The issue here is the attitude and general behavior; women are still undermined first for being women before anything else.
I am sorry to inform you about the current rape rampage launched at young women at universities, it is sad older man (whom I assumed where smarter) are toying with the life’s of young black women who are disadvantaged. And finally Mama ETV is reviewing their dress code policy, the million women who boldly put on their doeks and made it trend won. But most importantly the bold women who put their careers at risk to fight this battle won. Oh how can I forget to mention the feminists and many other young strong black women who challenge the status quo and have vowed to not take BS from no one, I can’t mention them all in this letter but Malaika Wa Azania and Wanelisa xaba make me wish I was a women.
Mama I decided to boycott watching TV because 80% of the women I see on TV are practically 10% clothed, I cannot allow women to be displayed as a man’s possession or just a sex object anymore. I am trying very hard to come to terms with polygamy and Lobola Mama and hope my concern is clear, a society that maintains practices they condemn are just promoting them in silence… Hmmmm, but anyway
Happy women’s Month to every women in South Africa, this country needs you in order to move forward. Mama Lillian might not be here but you are here, and you can achieve a whole lot more.
POWER TO YOU ALL SISTERS!!
Article By Dimo Wa Moraswi Sekele
