De Bruyn Challenges Leaders Over Corruption and GBV Row
PRETORIA — Struggle stalwart Sophie de Bruyn has issued a stern challenge to South Africa’s leadership and citizens, calling for a renewed spirit of activism to combat modern social plagues. Speaking at the Union Buildings to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March, the last surviving leader of the historic protest described the country’s current state as a painful paradox where freedom is overshadowed by fear.
De Bruyn, who was only 18 when she led 20,000 women against the apartheid pass laws, returned to the same steps to condemn the rise of gender-based violence, corruption, and systemic inequality. She noted that while the marchers of 1956 fought to end racial subjugation, today’s women remain prisoners in their own homes due to rampant insecurity and abuse.
The commemoration, held under the theme Empowered Women, Empower Nations, also featured Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai praised the legacy of South African women who defied the brutal apartheid regime, stating that the world still looks to their example of organised resistance and endurance against patriarchal and racial oppression.
The veteran activist urged the government to adopt a moral compass and provide accountable leadership to ensure the sacrifices of the past were not in vain. She specifically called for the eradication of corruption and a decisive end to the violence directed at women and children. De Bruyn emphasised that the bravery shown seven decades ago must now be directed toward ending poverty, unemployment, and homelessness.
Addressing the youth, De Bruyn instructed young women not to wait for permission to lead but to use their voices and votes as critical weapons. She stated that while the generation of 1956 delivered a free country, the responsibility to make South Africa safe and prosperous now rests with the current generation.
The event forms part of a broader national reflection as South Africa marks several milestones, including the 30th anniversary of the Constitution and the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprisings. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also attended the proceedings, urged the nation to remain the keepers of the dreams held by the country’s forebears.
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