There are surgeons in our society who work tirelessly to reconstruct a bludgeoned face, moulded by the hands of hatred. They work around the clock, trying to piece an emotional collage; scattered, puzzled images of abuse. This operation room has seen many faces, who masquerade the painful truth behind dark glasses, a smile or the simple, common phrase; I will be fine.
Even with our advances in medical technology, complete facial reconstruction will be a long and arduous procedure. To a certain extent, our medical potters have crafted an image worthy of displaying to the world’s media.
Recently the rape case of a 17 year old, mentally challenged girl from Soweto sent trembles through our landscape, the seismic wave was felt internationally. Just when we thought the earthquake subsided, an after shock came in the form of another incident. In the same breath as the previous case, a young mentally challenged boy also from Soweto, was raped by two females. It’s quite evident that both seismic events have left our moral standing unbalanced, one more tremble and we shall fall to our knees. Unlike with natural disasters some human activities can be prevented through stringent measures to avoid a reoccurrence.
Under the international microscope we are viewed as nothing more than a race of diseases and parasites, cannibals that prey on their own kind. Who’s to blame for not monitoring the beast’s leash; the threat has encroached beyond its limit, bordering around the vulnerable. South Africa’s canvass has been smudged by the art of rape, so which colour is to blame for the distorted image? There is no specific colour affiliated with rape; we all vulnerable to being part and parcel of the portrait.
We are seen as the rape capital of the world, we make the civil unrest in Somalia, Kenya and the Middle East, seem like desirable tourist destinations. Some reported cases of rape are swept underneath an already filled carpet, other cases are dismissed by our judicial system due to a lack of evidence; a synonym for due to bribery or incompetence. Victims of rape have to carry the burden of their affliction through the rest of their life; without support they succumb to the weight. Worst of all court proceedings are prolonged, inevitably becoming episodes filled with drama, suspense, monotonous characters who add no meaning whatsoever to the case...it becomes a script with no happy ending.
Fellow citizens gear up in your green garments, make your way to the theatre room there is a country in dire need of a facelift. Through team work and cooperation, we can make this facial reconstruction an easy, rather than a long and arduous procedure...we are society’s surgeons.
I dedicate the following article to any victims of rape; here is my helping hand to help you carry the burden.
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