DUT students and staff marched through Durban in silence as they honoured victims of gender-based violence and femicide and called for an end to violence, fear and silence.
Image: XOLILE MTEMBU
The streets of Durban saw a silent march on Wednesday as students and staff from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) marched in memory of victims of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).
The university community took part in DUT’s 12th Annual Silent Protest March with participants from the Durban and Midlands campuses walking along Steve Biko Road under the theme, “Silence Speaks: Standing Together Against GBV.”
For those taking part, the silence was not an absence of words, but a powerful statement about the pain, fear and loss experienced by victims and survivors of GBV.
The march, which was conducted under the supervision of law enforcement authorities, formed part of DUT’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness about GBVF and encourage students, staff and the wider community to challenge violence.
Speaking during the programme at the Fred Crookes Sport Centre on Steve Biko Campus, Interim Director: Student Services for the Midlands campuses, Sithembile Mjadu, said the university was standing together against violence.
“For many years, DUT has joined the annual Silent Protest, a protest against Gender-Based Violence, against femicide, against all forms of abuse that rob our people of their dignity and their lives. We do not protest as spectators. We protest as a university community that says: Enough. Enough is enough!” said Mjadu.
She said the protest was also rooted in DUT’s Living Values, which include being people-centred, acting with integrity, fairness, embracing diversity and striving for excellence.
DUT students and staff took to the streets of Durban in silence to honour victims of gender-based violence and femicide, while calling for stronger action against abuse.
Image: XOLILE MTEMBU
“People-centred: Every student, every staff member deserves to be safe, respected, and valued. Your pain is our pain. Your safety is our responsibility. Integrity: We commit to truth. To believing survivors. To not looking away when abuse happens in our residences, our classrooms, our offices, and our homes.
“Fairness: There can be no fairness when power is abused. Diversity: We acknowledge that GBV affects all, but disproportionately affects women, children, and LGBTQIA+ persons. Excellence: A truly excellent university is not measured only by research outputs, but by how safe its students feel walking home at night.”
Delivering the keynote address, Dean of Students Dr Clement Moreku called on attendees to observe a moment of silence for those who had lost their lives to GBV.
He stressed that GBV could not be dismissed as an issue affecting women alone, but was a societal failure requiring everyone to take responsibility.
“Awareness alone is not enough. What protects women are systems that work. Leaders who act and communities that refuse to normalise violence.
“This year’s theme invites us to pause, listen and reflect. Silence can sometimes mean everything is peaceful, but for GBV victims it can represent fear, shame, stigma and uncertainty about whom to trust,” he said.
DUT Protection Services Director Charles Sehlogo also urged students to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of those around them.
The 12th annual DUT Silent Protest March saw students and staff stand together against GBV, with university leaders urging the community to reject the normalisation of violence.
Image: XOLILE MTEMBU
He encouraged students not to remain passive or assume someone else would intervene, highlighting the importance of vigilance and speaking out when confronted with GBV.
For students who may be struggling with abuse, help is also available.
DUT psychologist Candice McCain, from the university’s Student Counselling and Health Unit, shared the 24-hour GBV helpline, 0800 150 150, and encouraged students to seek assistance when needed.
She said the unit prioritised GBV cases and was available to support students beyond normal campus hours.
As the march entered its 12th year, DUT said its continued message remained clear: breaking the silence around GBVF requires more than awareness.
It requires survivors to be heard, perpetrators to be held accountable and communities to refuse to accept violence as normal.
For the students and staff who walked silently through Durban, every step was a reminder of the lives lost, the survivors still carrying their pain and the responsibility of creating spaces where everyone can live, study and work with dignity and without fear.
IOL
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