Nyanga East youth launch civil rights group to empower and lobby for its residents

Young people in Nyanga East launched the Equal Rights Forum to champion human rights in the area.Picture: Supplied

Young people in Nyanga East launched the Equal Rights Forum to champion human rights in the area.Picture: Supplied

Published Jun 14, 2021

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Cape Town - In response to the rampant crime in their area and the recent tragic incidents in which youngsters have died, young people in Nyanga East launched a civil society organisation at the weekend.

The Equal Rights Forum seeks to work with other local organisations and government institutions to ensure that the human rights of people in Nyanga East and the surrounding areas were not prejudiced, while also holding to account those in authority to ensure they delivered on their constitutional mandate.

Last month, 23-year-old budding artist Zolani Nikani was stabbed to death, while in April, a 22-year-old gay man, Lonwabo Jack, was allegedly raped before being killed. In February, four boys died when a sandbank collapsed on them while they were playing near a bridge.

Equal Rights Forum chairperson Thulani Pike said they will use the organisation as a platform to ensure equal rights as envisaged in the Bill of Rights.

“As activists from different areas, we came together to form this vehicle to champion human rights. Our mandate is to advocate, lobby, mediate, educate and empower the people.

“This has been formed on the background that after 25 years of the adoption of the Constitution we still battle gross violation of human rights in our communities against the LGBTQIA+ community, gender-based violence, children’s rights violation, bullying at school is increasing in large quantities,” he said.

Pike said although South Africa had the best Constitution in the world, the government had failed to implement it.

“Crime has become something that people have gotten used to in our communities, while criminals are killing with impunity, as they know the justice system has somehow collapsed. Police are no longer an answer, and we now need men and women to stand up, unite and fight for inequality and injustices in our communities.”

Spokesperson Makhaya Mwande said most of the problems in the area were caused by ignorance, which, he said, could be solved by education programmes, starting with the City’s by-laws.

“We should be taking ownership of our commutes, but instead we are working towards their disruption. A case in point is the illegal sand mining that resulted in the death of four children in February,” he said.

Nyanga Community Policing Forum secretary Dumisani Qwebe said the community had already seen the significant work done by the organisation.

“We have noted their great work in assisting families and individuals getting justice and going the extra mile in ensuring that people get justice. We are praying that they receive all the resources they will need in ensuring that they reach everyone in the community,” said Qwebe.

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Cape Argus

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