By Tholakele Thabane

 

Molly Mbangula is struck by a deep feeling of being overwhelmed. So many moons and nights have gone by, turning into decades, yet so much still needs to be done. It is already 29 years that she has been an activist. This is 29 years of running the streets in protest, singing and mobilising.  


Affectionally known as “Mam Molly”, she has been a rock and a safe space for the women in Kwa-Thema, East Rand of Gauteng.  Mam Molly started her activism journey in 1995, and the decision was motivated by a Gender Based Violence (GBV) encounter she had at the Kwa-Thema police station. She describes the experience as disheartening and brutal.  


An uncomfortable situation influences activism 
On the day of the encounter, she was at the police station to certify documents, and a woman walked into the office and was visibly traumatised crying for help. “She was not taken into consideration, and they handled the situation in an unprofessional and less empathic way” Mam Mollly says, herself now visibly distraught. She continues, “in a room full of children you would take the victim to a private area, right? That was not the case, she was questioned right there, and she could not answer,” Mam Molly narrates. 


This was when Mam Molly saw the need to take the traumatised woman outside for privacy and to comfort her. From that moment, Mam Molly recognised that women were not being protected and lacked private spaces to discuss such issues when they needed help.  


From this encounter she decided she was going to advocate for vulnerable and abused women in her community. She did some research on how she can assist women who find themselves in these situations and to find ways to put an end to the daily negligence experienced by women when it comes to GBV related cases.  
 
Mam Molly in WAMUA 


Mam Molly joined MACUA in 2012 when it was introduced to the Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation(EEO). She was at the time an active member of EEO which fights against injustices against the environment and how women are affected by these injustices.  


“I became a WAMUA Ekurhuleni Branch Coordinator in 2020 and I have since learnt a lot from the other WAMUA comrades who I call my sisters,” Mam Molly mentions.

Mam Molly has established herself well in the organisation and her community as an activist, a mother and as a counsellor. As a victim of domestic violence, she has dedicated her life to women’s struggles and those affected by mining. 


She was recently a part of the WAMUA GBV Report Launch and her contribution proved her long-standing experience and passion in the matter.  

She describes her experience at the GBV report launch and workshop as educational and very emotional. “I loved seeing women talking about their GBV experiences and being able to be vulnerable around each other so freely and we exchanged love and support,” Mam Molly mentions. 


A rock for the women in Kwa-Thema 

After the encounter she had at the Kwa-Thema Police station, along with her research findings, she then contacted People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA) for assistance.  

She met Nthabiseng from POWA who tasked her to collect rape statistics in Kwa-Thema, Tsakane and Duduza. This was followed by counselling training at NICRO (a social crime prevention and offender reintegration for adults and children Non-Profit Organisation) and obtained her counselling certificate.  


After obtaining the certificate, Mam Molly went to the Kwa-Thema police station to offer her services. She was then given an opportunity to counsel GBV victims before reporting their cases. “This is where a lot of women in Kwa-Thema met me and have since been visiting my home. They also call when in need of advice and GBV related assistance,” Mam molly mentions.

Mam Molly opened an organisation called Society Helping Against Women Abused (SHAWA) in 1998. The organisation was aimed at creating a safe space for the women in her community. 


She has become a well-known GBV counsellor in her community and women are able to freely come and speak to her on their GBV related issues.  

 

Being a single mom and an activist has not been easy, but Mam Molly has juggled both for the past 29 years and is an inspiration to her daughter, grand-daughter and many other women in the community and movement.