'Whispering Truth to Power' is an Important Documentary for Women's Month
The award-winning documentary featuring former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, reminds us of the true spirit behind South Africa celebrating women during August.
August is Women's Month in South Africa. Filmmaker Shameela Seedat's award-winning 2018 documentary, Whispering Truth to Power, is the perfect way for South Africans to not only celebrate Women's Month but to also remind them why the country even celebrates it in the first place.
Women's Day, which is celebrated on August 9th, commemorates the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1950 in protest of the "pass laws" that had been introduced by the then Apartheid government. Women's day has always been an honoring of the spirit of protest, resolve and courage displayed by South African women in their fight for the liberation of Black South Africans, vastly different from what it has become nowadays.
What better way to honor the spirit of protest and liberation than to watch Seedat's Whispering Truth to Power? The documentary follows the last year of Thuli Madonsela's last year in office as the country's Public Protector. It details how she took on former President Jacob Zuma in a battle that brought to light how Zuma had misappropriated R246 million (USD 16 million), all of which was taxpayers' money, on upgrades to his personal home in Nkandla. Madonsela's work was instrumental in South Africans calling for Zuma to step down and demanding that he #PayBackTheMoney.
Over the years, and understandably so, there has been growing criticism around South Africa failing to protect its women throughout the year and then launching into an abrupt and often pretentious celebration of women during a single month. With alarmingly high femicide, rape and domestic violence statistics, South African women have pointed out that much more needs to be done to actively address the challenges facing women in the country, significantly more than just bouquets of flowers and endless posts on social media.
Watch the trailer for Whispering Truth to Power below. You can also stream the full documentary on Showmax.