A group of women from areas such as Tshirolwe, Tshikuwi and Luvhalani in Nzhelele marched to the Mphephu police station a fortnight ago to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
The peaceful march started outside the Biaba CBD near Nngweni Secondary. Some of the women took off their shirts, singing songs with lyrics that translate as "we are tired of being killed and raped." The protestors also complained about gunshots being fired at night, tavern owners selling alcohol to minors, the killings at shebeens and the fact that, when suspects do get arrested, they are released shortly afterwards.
The women requested that a police van always be on standby and that the police patrol the mountain route to Ha-Matsa. They demanded that the lounges must close at 22:00 pm and that the police tighten security measures in the area.
One of the women who took part in the march, Mrs Muvhulawa Mutshumbela, said that they were having a serious problem with shebeen owners "The owners are selling alcohol to minors and they also don't care about their customers' safety. You will find that a person is killed in the shebeen and they will continue playing music as if nothing has happened," she said.
The Makhado communication cluster's co-ordinator, Constable Tshifhiwa Radzilani, confirmed that the police had received the memorandum. "We are busy considering their concerns," she said.