There are places where history does not simply live in the walls. It speaks.
On Friday, 25 September 2026, the historic Women’s Jail at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg will become a gathering place for mourning, reflection and resistance as Constitution Hill South Africa hosts Warm Bodies at the Women’s Jail, a public vigil responding to the devastating scourge of gender-based violence and the continued loss of life in communities across South Africa.
The gathering will bring together members of the public, civil society organisations, human rights partners and other stakeholders in a collective moment of remembrance and solidarity.
But the choice of venue carries a deeper meaning.
The Women’s Jail once stood as a symbol of oppression and imprisonment under apartheid. Today, Constitution Hill presents the site as a powerful symbol of women’s resilience, courage and resistance.
Its historical record documents the imprisonment of prominent anti-apartheid activists, including Albertina Sisulu, Fatima Meer, Barbara Hogan and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
It is against this backdrop that Warm Bodies will ask South Africans to pause, remember and confront the ongoing reality of violence against women and children.
From a place of oppression to a space of solidarity
The story of the Women’s Jail is one of women who endured injustice and oppression, yet continued to find ways to resist.
For Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, that history offers an important source of strength as South Africa confronts gender-based violence.
“The Women’s Jail reminds us that women have endured injustice, oppression and violence before, and they have always found the courage to resist and to rise.”
Ramokgopa said Warm Bodies is about standing together in mourning and solidarity while drawing on that courage to work towards a society where women and children can live free from fear and violence.
The vigil comes as recent multiple murders in South Africa have left communities grieving, anxious and searching for spaces where they can collectively express their pain, solidarity and desire for healing.
Warm Bodies aims to provide such a space.
A programme built around remembrance
The programme will combine poetry, prayer, reflections, guest speakers and messages of support and hope before moving into a period of collective silence and reflection.
Guests are expected to arrive from 11h30, with the formal programme beginning at 12h00.
The event will be hosted by Sophie Ndaba, wellness coach, actress and entrepreneur.
The opening prayer will be led by Rorisang Thandekiso, presenter and radio host, followed by a poetry reading from Nomonde Sky.
MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa will then deliver the keynote address, followed by remarks from Dr Beverly Ditsie, a human rights activist, filmmaker and director.
Other voices on the programme include Sasha Stevenson, Director of Section 27, and poet Noxolo Desire.
The programme will then turn towards a silent memorial of reflection and mourning.
Amnesty International South Africa will participate with A Flower for Remembrance, before Mama Itta leads 11 minutes of meditation.
Together, these moments are designed to create space not only for grief, but also for reflection, solidarity and hope.
Remembering. Reflecting. Standing together.
Warm Bodies is ultimately a call for people to come together.
At the heart of the gathering is a simple but powerful message: communities affected by violence should not have to carry their grief in isolation.
The Women’s Jail provides a setting where the memory of women who faced oppression and brutality can sit alongside a contemporary call for action against gender-based violence.
The event invites South Africans to stand in solidarity, remember those who have been lost and reflect on the society they want to build.
On Friday, 25 September, the Women’s Jail will therefore hold two stories at once: the story of women who resisted injustice in the past and the urgent call to confront violence against women and children today.
Warm Bodies at the Women’s Jail will take place from 12h00 to 14h00 at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, with media arrival scheduled for 11h30.
The invitation is open: gather, remember, reflect and stand in solidarity.
Event Details
Event: Warm Bodies at the Women’s Jail
Date: Friday, 25 September 2026
Time: 12h00 – 14h00
Media Arrival: 11h30
Venue: The Women’s Jail, Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
#StandUp4HumanRights #ActInSolidarity #VisitConHill #EndFemicide #StopGBV
