It takes a really brave person like Ntokozo Hazel Mhlaba to turn her traumatic experience as a rape survivor into a theatre production.

Titled The Aftermath, the production will be staged at the South African State Theatre in Tshwane from tonight until Sunday. The 34-year-old Mhlaba, a playwright and director, uses the production to look closely at what rape survivors experience after being sexually violated.

Adapted from her own book If Death Had Ears -The Aftermath, the story follows the journey of a young girl who becomes an artist at a tender age. Her passion for dance and music introduced her to her perpetrator.

“What I deal with in the show is something that even medical researchers have failed to adequately address. They really do not do justice when it comes to dealing with the aftermath. I turned chapter 10 of my book into a theatre show because I felt it will take time for people to read the book and get the message. Because I work in the theatre space, I had to bring in the people and spread the message.”

“I was raped at the age of 10 by my artistic director. I was young and knew nothing about rape. I did not undergo any professional counselling . Having to read and write my book over and over again was in itself therapeutic.”

“Now that I am doing a play, I have to relive the cataclysm through a show. I have to sit and watch someone portraying me, experiencing the same thing I experienced years ago. For me that was therapy on its own and that is why I have so much respect for the show.”

Before she even wrote the book, Mhlaba had to do some research, which included even conversing with sexual abuse perpetrators. The bigger idea for her was making sure that the public,  including perpetrators, understood the depth of rape scars and damage it caused in people’s lives.

“I found two rapists – one is very close to me. When I explained to them the deep scars they left their victims with, they broke down and cried. I told them that when they raped someone, they were not only taking away their innocence...but also damaging their future. I gave them an in-depth education on the aftermath of rape.”

Born in Mpumalanga and raised in Alexandra, Mhlaba is proud of herself to have written a story and turned it into a play. She wants theatre goers to not only learn about the effects of rape but also hear the deep cry of a ten year-old child.

“As writer, I even tried to put myself in the shoes of my perpetrator. I am finding reasons that might have caused him to do what he did to me. I mention things like poverty, not having role models but still it does not justify his actions. The play further highlights that issues like rape were not only affecting women, but t men as well, children and members of LGBTIQ+ community.

“I want to be the change that I want to see in society. I want to break the stigma that makes it even hard for victims to speak out about rape,”