Earlier today I recorded an interview for a South African TV morning show called "Expresso," which will be broadcast on Thursday May 9th. Tomorrow I’ll be addressing a gathering of journalists at the Press Club in Cape Town.
The subject I’m focusing on is "How Can We See an End to Gender Based Violence." I’ve become more and more passionately focused on women’s rights over the years. All I basically want to do is to inspire people to become aware and get involved. The HIV AIDS pandemic ( as I personally witnessed it ) completely shifted my view of the world, in relation to human rights and justice. I became an activist and campaigner from that point on, realising that people in power can either become bottlenecks against or facilitators towards positive change in people’s lives. When there is social and political will, tremendous things can be accomplished. So even as I rail and despair over the dark occurrences taking place everywhere, I still believe in taking an active part in the changes I want to see.
…..I was deeply upset to see flash cameras going off directly in Mandela’s face yesterday. Wherever and whenever I took part in a 46664 event, the unequivocal rule was always that flash cameras must never be used. His eyesight has been damaged from years of working in the blinding light of a lime quarry on Robben Island. Flash light is actually painful for him. To think that no one seemed to be even aware of this..(apart from the fact that he is in his nineties, he is supposed to have retired from public life) was simply a travesty to me. I’m still distressed about it, and I’m glad that so many people publicly expressed their disapproval.
Image: The lime quarry on Robben Island