In commemoration of National Women’s Day, the DUT Poetry Society organised a walk to the Durban City Hall on Friday (August 9, 2013).

On this day in 1956, more than 50 000 women walked to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, marching against the pass laws of the apartheid government. For this reason, every year, the country remembers the courageous and pivotal role these women played.

Fifty seven years later, the DUT Poetry Society also used the 9th of August for a worthy cause, raising awareness about cancer.

Explaining more about the intent of the walk, Ntokozo Zulu who is the Chairperson of the society said, “The DUT Poetry Society wanted to join in on the celebrations of Women’s Day, with a difference. We wanted to move away from the traditional focus on abuse against women and focus, instead, on the issue of cancer. This is not to say that the issue of women abuse is less important but we (the society) feel that cancer does not receive the necessary attention.”

Zulu added that the fact that women, and predominantly those in rural areas, are prone to die from cancer (in SA) was what also prompted the walk.

The society drafted a memorandum, together with Nsizwa Mkhwanazi, the SRC President of the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine (UKZN). The memorandum was handed over to the Advisor of the Mayor who promised to relay the message to the Mayor, who would subsequently carry out action in accordance to the requests of the society. Feedback was promised before October 2013.

Over 100 participants departed from Gate 3, DUT Steve Biko Campus at10h30 am. Following a specified route, the participants headed to the City Hall, attracting more people along the way. At the City Hall, poets from DUT and those who were supporting from other universities recited poems relating to the Women’s Day theme.

After the walk, participants returned to the Steve Biko Campus for refreshments.

“On behalf of the DUT Poetry Society we would like to acknowledge and thank all the people and organisations for the roles they played in making this walk a success. These are Mrs T.S. Sibiya from DUT Student Governance, the Durban Municipality (Special Events Office), Durban Metro Police, the South African Police Service, Nsizwa Mkhwanazi and members of different clubs and societies at DUT as well as all the poets,” Zulu said.

– Naledi Hlefane and Ntokozo Zulu

Caption: In the same way that more than 50 000 women walked to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on August 9, 1956, the DUT Poetry Society organised a walk of their own on August 9, 2013. But unlike the march against the apartheid laws in 1956, the participants of the walk intended to raise awareness about cancer.