“Los my poes af” – the fine line between being radical enough and being too radical

abstract

The majority of civil society organisations in Cape Town are run by black and coloured women who are fighting against increasing crime rates, especially relating to the abuse of women and children. Besides the fight against violence, women also face the daily struggle of saving their organisations and ensuring enough financial support to continue the work they are doing. Lucinda Evans, woman leader and human rights activist from Lavender Hill, elaborates on how women’s organisations from the Cape Flats in Cape Town are walking the fine line between being radical enough and being too radical, especially when it comes to open protest in the streets. Organisations that are aligned with government, political parties or international charity organisations not only receive financial support, but are obliged to make certain compromises. Part of these compromises is the agreement to maintain a professional public image, which would inhibit the fight against violence on the Cape Flats, as Evans explains. This focus piece elaborates on the external influences which control women’s activism in South Africa and on conclusions that can be drawn from these restrictions. It demonstrates exemplarily how women activists are torn between publicly demanding their rights and jeopardising the organisations they are running.

keywords:

• radical feminism in South Africa
• women’s activism
• civil society organisation
• protest
• tone-policing

Notes

1. The term ‘civil society organisations’ is here understood as a collective term to describe all types of non-profit organisations, including charities, non-governmental organisations, women’s organisations, community groups, and grassroots organisations (Boraine, 2014:108).

2. The Cape Flats belong to the southern suburbs of Cape Town, where - in the course of apartheid policies - a majority of black and coloured people were forcedly moved. Almost 25 years after apartheid, a large part of the Cape Flats still consists of townships and poor communities which are exposed to gang wars, substance abuse and violence against women and children on a daily basis.

3. Unless otherwise indicated, Lucinda Evans's explanations and statements are taken from two personal interviews with her which were made on October 21, 2018 and on March 7, 2019, as well as from my own experiences of working with her.

4. „Nasty Women Talk Back“, edited by Joy Watson and Amanda Gouws, is a collection of feminist essays dealing with the global women’s marches, and gives insights into the depiction of feminists as “nasty women”.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Hartmann

LAURA HARTMANN is a PhD student at Philipps-University in Marburg, Germany. Her interests include gender studies, black feminist literature, and sisterhood. In 2015 she met Lucinda Evans and has been volunteering at her organisation ever since. Laura wrote her thesis on ‘Being a Woman in Cape Town: Colonialism, Apartheid, Post-Apartheid’. Through her work with Philisa Abafazi Bethu she has gained insights into the work of a non-governmental organisation as well as into the political situation in South Africa, and got the chance to meet many women of different backgrounds and to listen to their stories. Email: [email protected]