Page 89 - SCAT Rural Voice II - 35 Stories for 35 Years

were not respected by officials at government offices and they were shouted at for no particular reason. These are some of the factors that prompted me to do something by establishing a community advice centre. The experience of seeing young girls forced to marry older people was too much to bear. I remember a case of a young 14 year old girl in Grade 8 who was thwalad7 through a deal made by her biological father. The girl was abducted for ukuthwala while she was walking to school. Her father had made this deal yet he never supported his daughter and chased away her mother. The child was living with her grandparents. A family member reported the incident to us at the Advice Office. We first communicated with the parents in the hope that they would listen but they insisted that it was their right to arrange this marriage. We then reported this matter to a local social worker who rescued the girl and took her away from the parents.
The issuing of birth certificates is another big issue we have to deal with. There is a crisis of children who do not have birth certificates. The Department of Home Affairs officials give parents and children who don’t have birth certificates a hard time. Without birth certificates the children cannot be registered to attend school and parents cannot receive child support grants. The children are an extra burden to grandmothers who have to foot the bill for food, clothing and school needs on their meagre pensions.
We tried to address this problem of birth certificates with the department of Home Affairs but they were not interested. We then approached pro bono lawyers who were willing to plough back into the community. The lawyers have drafted letters of demand and we are seeing progress. The department is scared of court cases and have changed their attitudes. We have also targeted traditional leaders, churches and councillors through awareness campaigns and meetings.
Our Advice Office started off helping mineworkers and now serves the whole community. I was born to a royal family, but my belief in fighting for justice for all, has made my community my family too.
7. A colloquial verb for saying a girl was abducted through ukuthwala
Gender
Anam Kayise field worker in Mqanduli Advice Office.
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RuRal Voice ii: 35 stories for 35 years