Scantily clad women march to taxi rank

Published in Reporter.co.za today.

Taxi drivers angered by marchers blockade

By Tsuai

The Noord street taxi rank came to a chilling standstill on Friday when scantily clad women marched to the rank in protest against the disrespectful behavior of taxi drivers towards women.

The marchers, under the banner of Remmoho Women’s Forum (RWF), were determined to assert their freedom and right to choose what to wear and when to wear it. This march followed the incident at the Noord street taxi rank where a 25 year old woman’s clothes were torn off because she was wearing a mini-skirt.

The indecent assault has aroused widespread condemnation from all and sundry.

The police had to call for back up to prevent the taxi drivers from attacking the marchers who blockaded the Plein street exit of the taxi rank. Marchers sang struggle songs, danced and exposed their breasts and panties provocatively as they dared the taxi drivers to touch them.

The taxi drivers retaliated by singing ’Awulethu umshini wam,’ (bring me my machine gun), insulting the female marchers and taking off their trousers and showing off their backside. A drunken man believed to be a taxi queue marshal was arrested for insulting and provoking the police.

The secretary of the Top Six taxi association Mr. Mogorosi accepted the memorandum of demand from the marchers and condemned the behavior of those taxi drivers who sexually harass women.

When asked whether RWF condoned the actions of the marchers who showed off their bodies, Nosipho Twala justified the behavior as a form of protest and a show of disgust and outrage at what they did to the female who was sexually harassed and many other women.

Another leader of the marchers, Tebogo Mashota, said that they were ’not intimidated by the actions of the taxi drivers.’

Most of the marchers believe that women must not be controlled by males, their parents, and the community as to what they must wear.


http://www.reporter.co.za/newszone/article.aspx?ID=RP21A718550