Dylan Bush
Treasury allocated R15 million until 2023 to roll out South Africa s first gender-based violence and femicide action plan.
But gender-based violence and femicide cost the country between R20 billion and R40 billion each year.
More than a year after the action plan was released, the council that will oversee its implementation has not yet been appointed.
This is the story of two mothers mourning their children, who are now among those lost to the country s femicide epidemic.
Inside Roots Butchery in the town of Acornhoek in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, a butcher in red overalls guides a slab of beef through a meat saw. The blade screeches as it cuts through bone.
‘None of us are okay’: Frustration as South Africa’s GBV initiatives stall
29 Apr 2021
Haunted: Clacy Sekome holds a picture of her daughter, Gloria Sekome, who was murdered by her former partner, Danboy Nkuna. He is now awaiting trial. Photo: Dylan Bush
Inside Roots Butchery in the town of Acornhoek in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, a butcher in red overalls guides a slab of beef through a meat saw. The blade screeches as it cuts through bone.
Around him, other workers are preparing packages for Saturday morning shoppers queuing in the cool, fluorescent-lit shop, a welcome break from the October lowveld heat. To the left, a curtain of raw sausage hangs from stainless steel rails.
Inside Roots Butchery in the town of Acornhoek in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, a butcher in red overalls guides a slab of beef through a meat saw. The blade screeches as it cuts through bone.
Around him, other workers are preparing packages for Saturday morning shoppers queuing in the cool, fluorescent-lit shop, a welcome break from the October Lowveld heat. To the left, a curtain of raw sausage hangs from stainless steel rails.
Gloria Sekome, who was murdered by her ex-partner Danboy Nkuna, worked with him at Roots Butchery in Acornoek. (Photo: Dylan Bush)
There’s normality to the scene that belies the trauma of recent events.
David Prado
We searched English online media outlets for stories of women who were murdered in South Africa between 2018 and 2020 only 4% of the official cases showed up.
One in four female homicides reported in the media was a woman killed by her partner at the time.
Many other murdered women remain nameless with their stories untold.
This is an ode to the women whose names made it into news outlets between 2018 and 2020. It is also a tribute to those who did not - the faceless, nameless women whose stories will remain untold. This project is a collaboration between Bhekisisa, Media Hack and the Canon Collins Trust, which awarded Bhekisisa the 2020