#JusticeForCwecwe: Accountability is not optional

We live in a country where the promises of our Constitution dignity, equality, and safety remain out of reach for far too many, especially women, children, and those living on the margins.

Cwecwe’s case is tragically not an exception but a reflection of entrenched patterns of gender-based violence and systemic neglect. And that should disturb us all.

The call for justice, for accountability, and for structural reform is not only timely, it is necessary. We can no longer afford to react with momentary outrage and then return to silence. We must use every platform, every profession, and every voice to push for real change.

Whether as social workers, academics, activists, or simply as people who care about justice, we all have a role to play.#JusticeForCwecwe must become a rallying point for lasting change for every person who lives in fear, who has been failed by the system, and who continues to fight for a more just and humane society.

Let us stand in solidarity with Cwecwe’s family and all those whose lives have been shattered by violence, impunity, and neglect. This is a call on our government, law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and civil society to rise to this moment, not with words but with meaningful action.

We demand a transparent investigation, the prosecution of those responsible, and reforms that prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again.

As a nation, we cannot claim progress while women are still unsafe, while the vulnerable are still unheard, and while justice remains inaccessible.

I urge all South Africans to resist apathy, to raise their voices, and to be part of the collective force that insists on a society grounded in justice, compassion, and accountability. Let this not be another name we mourn but a name that moves us toward transformation.

Let Cwecwe’s story stir us into action.

No more silence. No more injustice.

#JusticeForCwecwe#EndGBV#SystemicReformNow

Unisa Prof Malesa Kgashane