South Africa: Dear Mbokodo - We Did Not March So Women Could Carry the Nation
[Daily Maverick] This imagined letter places a composite speaker inside the thirty-minute silence of 9 August 1956. It draws on the events of the Women's March and the demands articulated by the Federation of South African Women.
To the person known as Mbokodo, it seems their voice has found its way to me. While seventy years may only retain the essence of their words, I understand they are in disagreement, and some of their arguments are directed towards us. Please accept my apologies for the pen. I am writing while standing, as we stand before your steps.
An estimated twenty thousand of us, they will claim once they tally us, have gathered here in our finest attire. Some are adorned in green, black, and gold; others wear traditional garb. Indian women are dressed in white saris. Mothers carry their children on their backs, and domestic helpers have brought the children they care for.
We journeyed through the night, arriving in pairs and groups, as our assembly is organized in a specific manner. The prime minister has declined to meet with us, and none of his top officials have taken his place. Therefore, we have left stacks of signed petitions at the entrance of your office. Our names are there, accompanied by the indelible marks of women who were unable to sign.
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