The Christian Science Monitor

‘Am I Next’ protests: South Africans push to renew fight against rape

Johane Gumede, a university student, carries a placard of Uyinene Mrwetyana, whose rape and murder in August spurred a wave of protests, during a demonstration at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Sept. 13, 2019.

Before she was a hashtag, before she was a rallying cry, before she was the reason for candlelight vigils and presidential promises and protesters facing down tear gas, the most striking thing about Uyinene Mrwetyana was just how ordinary she seemed.

In the days after the brutal rape and murder of the 19-year-old University of Cape Town student inside a suburban post office in late August, photos and videos of Ms. Mrwetyana circulated widely on social media. They captured an effervescent teenager, flashing a wide-brimmed smile as she posed at the beach, on mountaintops, and behind her smartphone in

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
To Craft Nordic Noir Novels, Scandinavian Authors Draw On Viking Tales
The sea wind is merciless. It slices and whips the swirling snow into a frenzy. Volcanic lava fields blacken the treacherous landscape. Danger skulks everywhere in this ancient Nordic realm, and the heroes and villains slashing their way through the
The Christian Science Monitor5 min read
With Vote At Alabama Plant, UAW Challenges South’s Antiunion Tilt
The first time Rob Lett saw a worker wearing a red union hat at his sprawling Mercedes plant, he thought, “Wow, that takes courage.” His second thought: “Why doesn’t he get fired?” Unions have long found the American South to be hostile territory. Bu
The Christian Science Monitor2 min read
Field Notes: How One Monitor Photographer Focuses On The Big Picture
Monitor photographer Riley Robinson wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived at police headquarters in Dallas with reporting partner Henry Gass. The police perspective was important to their story on violence prevention efforts featured on the cov

Related Books & Audiobooks