NN 23/2025
DIE SAOU SE STERK VROUE
2025/08/25
THE STRONG WOMEN OF THE SAOU
Vir Marinda van der Merwe het die Maandag soos enige ander Maandag by die Hoërskool Roodepoort begin: Personeelvergadering, saalopening, interaksie met leerders en personeel.
Anders as ander Maandae was daar ‘n berig van ‘n voorval van geweld op Vrydag. Leerders van die Hoërskool Roodepoort en Westridge High School se geveg het reeds op sosiale media begin sirkuleer. En die video is ontstellend: leerders wat mekaar aanval, skop en slaan en opmerkings wat deur die omstanders rondgeslinger word. Sy het moontlik senior personeel genader, begin dink oor hoe om die situasie te hanteer, hoe om die gemeenskap te nader en veral hoe om die leerders in haar skool veilig te hou.
Min het sy geweet dat Graad 12-leerders van Westridge High School weerwraak teen haar leerders wou neem, dat die leerders gewapen met messe ‘n aanval sou loods, dat sy onnadenkend in die geveg betrokke sou raak, dat die mes haar hand sou oopkloof en dat drie van haar leerders ernstig beseer sou wees.
Soos elke ander hoof was haar hoop vir 2025 dat haar skool op die voorblad van die koerant sou skitter oor die puik uitslae van die Graad 12-leerders. Nie vir een oomblik het sy gedink dat sy op die voorblad met ‘n meswond sou pryk nie.
In Augustus vra ons baie: wat maak van ‘n vrou ‘n Sterk Vrou?
Is dit iemand wat vreesloos en onverskrokke is? Is dit ‘n vrou wat die stryd aanpak en voor in die geveg staan?
En dan moet ons sê: ‘n Sterk Vrou word gebore uit die moed van haar oortuiging en deur beskerming van dié wat aan haar sorg toevertrou word.
Die 20 000 vroue wat in 1956 na die Uniegeboue opgetrek het met die kreet “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo!” (Slaan ‘n vrou en jy slaan ‘n rots) het dit nie gedoen om ‘n eksentrieke politieke standpunt in te neem nie, hulle het gedoen wat nodig was vir die voortbestaan van hulle gesinne en hulleself. Hulle het gedoen wat volgens hulle reg was – uit die moed van hulle oortuiging.
Miskien is dit die vroulike ingesteldheid: vir nou fokus ons op wat gedoen moet word. Ons sal later aandag gee aan die wonde en die herstel. Vir nou is die beskerming van die eie die eerste prioriteit.
In Augustus bring die SAOU hulde aan elke Sterk Vrou.
Ons bring hulde aan die drie dames wat die voorsitters van Gauteng, KZN en Vrystaat is en op die SAOU-dagbestuur dien, wat die toekoms van die SAOU bepaal.
Ons bring hulde aan elke vrou wat op die Provinsiale Uitvoerende Raad dien en wat ‘n hart vir die onderwys het: ten spyte van netbal, atletiek, tennis, koor, busdiens, akademiese werk, leierskap op skoolvlak, nog steeds kan tyd maak om te groei op die terrein van die georganiseerde vakbondwese.
Ons bring hulde aan die ses provinsiale sekretarisse wat elke dag vir die lede in hulle provinsie die beste moontlike uitkoms beding.
Ons bring hulde aan ons assistent-provinsiale sekretarisse, voltydse vakbondverteenwoordigers, ons professionele beamptes en ons sekretaresses, in wese elke vrou wat die hartklop van die SAOU verseker.
‘n Sterk Vrou is nie ‘n perfekte vrou nie, nie altyd die vrou wat alles bymekaar het en bymekaar hou nie; dit is nie die vrou wat altyd deur ‘n ring getrek kan word en die regte ding op die regte tyd sê nie. Maar ‘n Sterk Vrou is daardie vrou wat weer opdaag en weer probeer, wat vir dié rondom haar die beste probeer gee en doen. Daardie vrou, wat nou sal baklei en later so ‘n bietjie eenkant sal sit en haar eie wonde lek, maar môre weer die stryd sal aanpak.
Soos 70 jaar gelede is dit steeds waar: “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo!” (Slaan ‘n vrou en jy slaan ‘n rots), maar dalk moet ons in 2025 ook sê, jy kan slaan met vuiste, woorde, denke, suggesties, ideologieë, finansiële druk en afknou. En soos die rots sal sy nie kraak of breek nie.
By die SAOU salueer ons elke Sterk Vrou met die vaste wete dat ons hier vir jou is en vir jou regte sal ons baklei!
The Monday started in the same way as any other Monday at the Hoërskool Roodepoort for Marinda van der Merwe. Staff meetings, assembly, interaction with learners and staff members.
The only difference to this Monday was that there were reports of an incident on the previous Friday. The fight between learners from the Hoërskool Roodepoort and Westridge High School was circulated on social media. And the content of the video is upsetting: learners are physically attacking one another, kicking and hitting while the bystanders were hurling comments at the fighters. She probably consulted senior staff members, contemplating how to manage the situation, planning on how to inform the community and what measures should be taken to protect the learners in her school.
She did not realise that Grade 12 learners from Westridge High School were plotting revenge against her learners, that the learners would launch a knife attack or that she would become unwittingly involved and that her hand would be cut open and that three of her learners would be seriously injured.
Like every other principal she hoped that 2025 would be the year that her learners would shine on the front page of the newspaper for excellent Grade 12 results. Not once did she contemplate that she would be featured on the front page with a serious knife wound.
In August we ask: what causes a woman to be a Strong Woman?
Is this someone who is fearless and bold? Is this a woman who is in the fray of the fight, always ready to start the battle?
And then, we have to say, a Strong Woman is born from the courage of her conviction, and always rising to protect those who were trusted to her care.
The 20000 women who marched to the Union Building in 1956 with the chant “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo!” (Hit a woman and hit a rock) did not do it to further an eccentric political position, they did it to protect the interests of their families and themselves. They did what had to be done to fight for their rights – from the courage of their convictions.
It might be the female mindset: for now, we focus on what must be done. At a later stage we will tend the wounds and focus on healing. At this moment the protection of our own is the main priority.
In August we pay tribute to every Strong Woman.
We pay tribute to the 3 ladies who are the Chairpersons of Gauteng, KZN and the Free State, who serve on the SAOU Executive Committee and who are actively engaged in paving the way for the SAOU.
We pay tribute to every lady on the Provincial Executive Committee, who serve with a heart for education: despite netball, athletics, tennis, the choir, invigilating on busses, academic word and leadership at school level, but who still find the time to grow in the knowledge field of organised labour.
We pay tribute to our 6 Provincial Secretaries who are involved daily in bargaining for the best possible outcome for members at provincial level.
We pay tribute to our Assistant Provincial Secretaries, Shop Stewards, Professional Officers and our secretaries; in essence every woman who ensures the heartbeat of the SAOU.
A Strong Woman does not refer to the woman who is always perfect, it does not refer to the woman who always has total control over every aspect; neither does it refer to the woman who is always perfect in dress and attire; who always has the right word at the right time. BUT a Strong Woman is the lady who shows up time and again, who is always willing to try again, who is willing to do her best for those around her; that woman who will fight ferociously but who will later sit down to bleed a while, only to take up the battle again tomorrow.
The same is still true 70 years on: “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo!” (Hit a woman, hit a rock), but maybe we should amend it in 2025, you can hit a woman with fists, words, thoughts, innuendo, ideology, financial suppression and bullying. And like the rock she will not crack or break.
And those of us at the SAOU pay tribute to every Strong Woman with the certain knowledge that we are here for you and will fight for your rights!
