{"id":878101,"date":"2025-12-16T22:36:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/rape-sparks-community-protest\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T22:36:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:36:54","slug":"rape-sparks-community-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/rape-sparks-community-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Rape sparks community protest"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ENOUGH! Community members march in protest along Albany Road, Makhanda, on Friday November 14. They marched to the derelict Albany Lounge building, where just less than a week earlier, a teenager was raped. They are calling for the building to be demolished. Pictures: SUE MACLENNAN <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
I<\/span>t was an emotional crowd that gathered in the shade of the tree outside Cassel\u2019s Funeral\u00a0Services\u00a0in Albany Road,\u00a0Makhanda,\u00a0last\u00a0Friday. A week earlier\u00a0a teenager had been raped\u00a0less than 500\u00a0metres\u00a0away.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
The group of mostly women from the local community were joined by members of the national anti-gender based\u00a0violence initiative, Women for Change, in their march to the derelict Albany Lounge.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Leanne Cook,\u00a0a former\u00a0Makhanda\u00a0resident, said she was representing\u00a0Women for Change.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cThat\u00a0building has been\u00a0run\u00a0down for many,\u00a0many years,\u201d Cook said.\u00a0\u201cThere have been many incidents there over the past two years. Someone was also murdered there. Now we are marching because we want them to break down that building.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re marching for\u00a0street lights, we\u2019re marching for more police visibility in our area, we\u00a0are marching for safety because we are not safe anymore in this area,\u201d Cook said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Outside the broken building in the baking sun,\u00a0litter piled high\u00a0in front of them\u00a0and sewage running down the road behind them,\u00a0women\u00a0went forward to speak about\u00a0their distress and outrage at being unsafe in their own\u00a0neighbourhood.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Several rape survivors gave moving accounts of their journeys to recovery.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
An emotional\u00a0Lorinda\u00a0May addressed the crowd. She is the mother of\u00a0Myrodine\u00a0May,\u00a0whose\u00a0hacked and beaten body\u00a0was found in a shallow grave in the bushes in\u00a0Makhanda\u00a0on October 12, 2023, a day after she was reported missing. To date, no one has stood trial for the particularly brutal attack on the 28-year-old Ghost Town resident.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Provincial and national leadership of the Patriotic Alliance had joined community members as they set off along Albany Road and\u00a0later\u00a0PA chief whip in the national Assembly\u00a0Marlon\u00a0Daniels, who is originally from\u00a0Makhanda, addressed the gathering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
He spoke with disgust of the decay his former hometown had been allowed to descend into and the need for \u201cunity for purpose\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cNo matter who you vote for, no matter the\u00a0colour\u00a0of your skin\u00a0and no matter who you support politically,\u00a0let us unite for the purpose of standing up for what is right,\u201d Daniels said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
EMOTIONAL: An emotional Lorinda May addresses the crowd gathered outside the Albany Lounge in Makhanda. She is the mother of Myrodine May, whose hacked and beaten body was found in a shallow grave in the bushes in Makhanda on October 12, 2023, a day after she was reported missing. To date, no one has stood trial for the particularly brutal attack on the 28-year-old Ghost Town resident. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN<\/p>\n

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EMOTIONAL: An emotional Lorinda May addresses the crowd gathered outside the Albany Lounge in Makhanda. She is the mother of Myrodine May, whose hacked and beaten body was found in a shallow grave in the bushes in Makhanda on October 12, 2023, a day after she was reported missing. To date, no one has stood trial for the particularly brutal attack on the 28-year-old Ghost Town resident. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Earlier, community leader Debra\u00a0Jass, had\u00a0searing\u00a0words for local authorities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Jass\u00a0described\u00a0her interactions with\u00a0Makana\u00a0Municipality, and the police.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Reporting on her meeting\u00a0with\u00a0Makhanda\u00a0Police Station commander Colonel\u00a0Mbulelo\u00a0Pika\u00a0following last week\u2019s incident, she said, \u201cI\u00a0said to\u00a0the police commander: \u2018You say visible policing: where are you?!\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cThe Station commander told me only one van is operational. All the others are in for repairs because of the potholes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cI told him, sir, according to our constitution, each\u00a0person has the right to feel safe and to be protected,\u201d\u00a0Jass\u00a0continued. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a wicked shame that\u00a0[local security companies]\u00a0Hi-Tec,\u00a0Smhart\u00a0and All-Tec must keep us safe at night. It means we\u00a0as a community must keep ourselves safe.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe\u00a0as the community of\u00a0[Makhanda]\u00a0say enough is enough!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been to the municipality to complain about the street lights \u2013 there are no street lights. Where I stay, for 10 years there have been no lights. They feel nothing for us!\u201d Jass said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u2018STAND UP\u2019: Patriotic Alliance chief whip in the national Assembly Marlon Daniels addresses community members gathered outside the derelict Albany Lounge in Makhanda on Friday November 14. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN<\/p>\n

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\u2018STAND UP\u2019: Patriotic Alliance chief whip in the national Assembly Marlon Daniels addresses community members gathered outside the derelict Albany Lounge in Makhanda on Friday November 14. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Ironically, towards the end of the gathering,\u00a0no fewer than\u00a0three police vans and another unmarked police sedan pulled up opposite.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Responding to\u00a0Talk\u00a0of the Town\u2019s query, South African Police Service spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy\u00a0confirmed the incident and clarified the situation\u00a0with regard to\u00a0vehicles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
McCarthy said SAPS was investigating a rape case following an incident in\u00a0Makhanda\u00a0at about 9pm on November 8.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cIt is alleged that\u2026 a 17-year-old woman was coming from Tata\u2019s Tavern in\u00a0Makhanda, walking alone on the street when she was approached by two unknown male suspects [who] forcefully raped her,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Anyone with information that could lead to an arrest and the successful prosecution of the suspects was requested to contact Detective\/Warrant-Officer\u00a0Nontshokweni\u00a0on 071 362 4757 or contact 08600 10111 or anonymously via the MYSAPS app.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
Regarding\u00a0the number of vehicles, McCarthy said, \u201cWe can furthermore confirm that\u00a0Makhanda\u00a0SAPS do have\u00a0a sufficient number of\u00a0operational vehicles that is in use at the different components like our Crime Prevention Unit, Detective Unit and Support Services.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cThe one operational vehicle mentioned by the Station Commander only referred to the number of operational vehicles in use by the Community Service Centre Reliefs at the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n
\u201cTo reduce the risk of becoming victims of crime, it is advisable that individuals do not walk alon<\/span>e at night. Patrons walking home after visiting a tavern are often targeted by criminals,\u201d McCarthy said.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n