Women’s safety in focus at AAD as Kempton survivor relives trauma

The issue of women’s safety has also been raised at the Air Force Base in Waterkloof, Pretoria, where the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition is showcasing the growing role of women in the defence sector. But for one 23-year-old woman, the issue is much closer to home. She survived two brutal attacks in Kempton Park a mere weeks apart, and is now reliving that trauma. This as more bodies are discovered in the area. Peter Makoe says his daughter was first attacked while walking in broad daylight. Just over a month later, she was violently assaulted again during a home invasion. Makoe says the recent killings have reopened those wounds, with his daughter now struggling to be alone. He has called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. “It’s very sad and painful. When I look at the families of the victims around Kempton Park and Ekurhuleni in general, lives that have been changed, pains and traumas that are going to linger forever with the victims. There’s no quick fix, no remedy for that. I’m still emotional. We still live in fear. My family is still traumatised,” he says. Swatek Defence and Aerospace CEO, Dr Khulile Mtsetfwa, says the killings are a painful reminder of the violence women continue to face. “It is hurting our young girls. It is also hurting young boys, because we are also getting to know that even young boys are hurt. They are saying, ‘what is it that I was supposed to learn? What is it that we are taking out of this?’ And as for me personally, my plea is to those who have started this … it is now enough,” says Mtsetfwa. But while women continue to face serious safety challenges, the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo is also highlighting another side of the story – women taking their place in the defence industry as entrepreneurs, suppliers and business owners. Swedish aerospace and defense company SAAB Grintek Executive Manager, Ellen Rakobo, says support programmes are opening doors for more female-owned businesses to enter the sector. She says women now make up the majority of entrepreneurs in their database, with 80% of the 10 suppliers currently under their incubation programme being female-owned. “In all those efforts that we put in place, we are making sure that we are not losing the industry. We are putting efforts to make sure that we embrace the industry itself. So, in that way, we focus mainly on females in our database. Right now, I can confirm that we’ve got the majority of female entrepreneurs, and the one that I’m supporting, I’ve got 10 suppliers that I’m supporting under incubation space, and 80% of the suppliers are female-owned, which is very good because we are strategic in making sure that we are reaching out to females,” she explains. At the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo, the message is clear: while women continue to demand safety and an end to gender-based violence, they are also taking their place in industries traditionally dominated by men.