President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared three days of mourning, from November 25 to 29, for victims of Covid-19 and gender-based violence.
Through our We Remember campaign, we too will pay tribute to some of the more than 20 000 people who have died due to the coronavirus pandemic and commemorate women who have died violently at the hands of men.
We Remember Asitandile Zozo
First-year Wits student and gender-based violence activist Asitandile Zozo, aka Kwasa, was just 20 years old when she was stabbed to death - allegedly by a former boyfriend.
As the police investigation zeroed in on him, Viwe Rulumeni allegedly attempted suicide by taking an overdose of tablets. He was kept under police guard until his release from Butterworth Hospital.
Rulumeni, 23, who was formally charged on August 26, has opted not to apply for bail - allegedly out of fear that the community may seek to avenge Kwasa’s death.
“Kwasa’s murderer was sober when he took her life. He had threatened her that he would take her life if she left him. His family asked her to stay for her own safety,” Charlene Beukes, the director of the Wits Gender Equity Office, told IOL shortly after the murder.
Describing Kwasa as "a beautiful joy", Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi paid tribute on Twitter to the young woman who was a friend of the beauty queen’s sister.
To the families of those who have died from Covid-19 or gender-based violence this year, we share your pain, we know their names and most of all, we remember.
#WeRemember #DontLookAway #16Days