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https://scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3030041/prince-harry-and-meghan-speak-out-violence-against-women-they
World/ Africa

Prince Harry and Meghan speak out on violence against women as they begin South Africa tour

  • Duke and Duchess of Sussex will meet anti-apartheid cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other dignitaries during trip
  • Later in tour, Harry is expected to rekindle memories of royal couple’s courtship in Botswana and of Princess Diana in Angola
Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, dance during a visit to Nyanga township near Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan started their tour of South Africa on Monday in a township known as the country’s “murder capital”.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, on their first overseas tour since the birth of their first child, are expected to meet anti-apartheid cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other dignitaries, but chose to begin in Nyanga, about 20km (12 miles) from Cape Town, which recorded more murders –289 – than any other police precinct in 2018-19.

Harry will later in the trip rekindle memories of the couple’s courtship in Botswana and of his mother Diana in Angola.

Meghan, an American former actress, has had only one official engagement since giving birth to Archie in May.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks with a woman during a visit to Justice Fesk, an NGO in the township of Nyanga, on Monday. Photo: AFP
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks with a woman during a visit to Justice Fesk, an NGO in the township of Nyanga, on Monday. Photo: AFP

The royal couple visited The Justice Desk in Nyanga, a group that teaches self-defence and empowerment to vulnerable children, many of whom have suffered trauma – key skills in a place where thousands live cheek-by-jowl in a squalid sea of tin and wood shacks, and where violence is a daily reality.

Activists have warned of an epidemic of violence against women in South Africa after a spate of killings and rapes in a country with one of the world’s highest murder rates. President Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking emergency measures to curb violence.

At least 137 sexual offences are committed per day, according to official figures. In August alone, more than 30 women were killed by their spouses.

Harry and Meghan, holding hands, arrived at the non-governmental organisation to the sound of drum beats and ululating as women and children shouted out in excitement. The couple greeted and chatted to women and children, with Meghan giving hugs to some, and danced to music.

“Meghan and I are truly inspired by your resilience, your spirit, your sense of community and your belief in a better future for everyone here,” Harry said to applause.

“Touching on what your president said last week – no man is born to cause harm to women,” he added. “It’s about redefining masculinity, it’s about creating your own footprints for your children to follow in, so that you can make a positive change for the future.”

Meghan, a mixed-race American who has been advocating women’s rights long before marrying Harry in 2017, congratulated girls “standing up for what’s right in the face of adversity”.

“While I’m here with my husband and as a member of the royal family, I am here as a mother, a wife, a woman of colour and your sister,” she added, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Speaking at the Nyanga Methodist Church, whose windows are protected by heavy bars against burglars, Theodora Lutuli of The Justice Desk said before Harry and Meghan’s arrival that the organisation was having a huge impact in the community by making children aware of their rights.

“They will tell you this is my body, it belongs to me … That is what they are being taught and we are saying if it starts from there, then we are guaranteed a better future,” said Lutuli, the organisation’s community liaison officer.

Prince Harry, speaks with children during a visit to Justice Desk, an NGO in the township of Nyanga, on Monday. Photo: AFP
Prince Harry, speaks with children during a visit to Justice Desk, an NGO in the township of Nyanga, on Monday. Photo: AFP

Ahead of the royal couple’s arrival, a small crowd of around 100 gathered outside the church, singing and dancing to the beat of a marimba band, while a throng of local and international media jostled for positions.

Children, some of nursery age, wore white Justice Desk T-shirts bearing the words “I’m not too young to be heard”.

Harry and Meghan later visited the District 6 museum that honours thousands of families forcibly removed during the apartheid era after the area, near the Cape Town business district, was declared whites-only area in 1966 and bulldozers moved in to demolish homes.

A large crowd gathered outside the museum waiting for the royals to arrive, with a large Union flag visible.

Harry, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson and sixth in line to the throne, has been visiting southern Africa for two decades for holidays and conservation work.

He will travel on alone for a working visit to Botswana, where the couple went soon after they began dating in July 2016 and returned in 2017 for a romantic getaway to celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday.

Britain's Prine Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave after visiting the District 6 Homecoming Centre in Cape Town on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Britain's Prine Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, leave after visiting the District 6 Homecoming Centre in Cape Town on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Harry then heads to Angola, visiting the landmine clearance project that featured in some of the most famous photographs of his late mother, Princess Diana.

He ends the solo section of his tour in Malawi, where he will meet President Peter Mutharika, before rejoining Meghan and Archie in South Africa for another township visit, this time near Johannesburg.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse