Original Research - Special Collection: Christina Landman Festschrift

Wathint’ Umfazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo, Uzakufa [You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock, You Will Die]: Dinah and Tamar as rape protestors

Hulisani Ramantswana
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 75, No 1 | a5413 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5413 | © 2019 Hulisani Ramantswana | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 February 2019 | Published: 17 October 2019

About the author(s)

Hulisani Ramantswana, Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article reflects on two rape stories, namely, the rape of Dinah and the rape of Tamar. In the two rape stories, the male figures are portrayed as heroes – the defenders of the rape victims. However, this article uses the isiZulu saying ‘Wathint’umfazi, wathint’ imbokodo, uzakufa’ to foreground the role of the rape victims as the unsung heroines in the stories. Thus, the paper presents Dinah and Tamar as heroines, who represent the demand for justice in the face of the violation of female bodies in society. It is the woman’s voice of protest that should be heard in each of the rape story crying out, ‘My life matters!’

Keywords

Rape; Dinah; Tamar; Androcentric; Gynocentric; Protest; Feminist.

Metrics

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Crossref Citations

1. Aesthetic distance as deus ex machina when the performer’s trauma is (not quite/quiet)
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