Sun May 19 13:18:19 SAST 2013
Sun May 19 13:18:20 SAST 2013

'No one can truly be free until all women are really free' - Lindiwe

May 7, 2012 | Lindiwe Mazibuko | 27 comments

"The SA Police Service plans to downgrade victim-friendly facilities where crime victims can be interviewed and counselled in private and offered support by social workers. This plan must be reversed"

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko says our law-making alone is insufficient to resolve abuse

 We must build a smart and capable State to provide basic services, to be integrated with providing women with life-changing opportunities, with educational and economic freedom and a safe environment 

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TWO weeks ago, we witnessed an incident that has violated our national psyche, which was reported across the world.

The incident has forced some introspection among South Africans and people abroad about the state of the national psyche.

Was the vicious gang-rape of a 17-year-old mentally disabled girl from Soweto by three men and four youths a random, heinous crime, or manifestation of a fundamentally broken society?

And as if in response to this question, that rape was followed by the rape of a disabled boy last week.

Such heinous incidents compel us to ask if we are doing enough to enlarge freedom, by protecting the vulnerable?

South Africa has the world's highest and most violent rate of rape. One in three women may be raped in their lifetimes. The rape of one woman or child is an assault on us all.

Our law-making alone is insufficient.

In a society in which women are overwhelmingly the victims of sexual violence and its attendant health risks such as HIV/ Aids infection, as leaders we should be asking how we can embrace vulnerable women and young girls from systemic male abuse and dominance.

We don't need a sociological exercise to make the connection between the seeds of abuse and the cancerous tree of apartheid.

No one can be truly free until all women are free. Redressing past injustices includes improving the lives of women and girls.

The DA has long advocated practical policy measures to combat rape and abuse. We want to reinstate the family violence, child abuse and sexual offences units.

We need to improve the state of our forensic laboratories so that evidence can be processed properly and used successfully to prosecute rapists.

We must also consider the re-establishment of the special courts set up during the World Cup permanently.

The South African Police Service plans to downgrade victim-friendly facilities where crime victims, particularly women and children, can be interviewed and counselled in private and offered support by social workers. This plan must be reversed. To measure progress, the state must re-introduce statistics on sexual offences.

We must also intervene early by ensuring that our children are educated about sexual abuse, rape and the importance of reporting it at schools.

While the policy challenge is very clear, where do we make the pinpoint intervention? Where and when do we strike the decisive blow against the grotesque pattern of abuse?

While the State's first responsibility is to protect citizens by law and order, we will only make life safer and kinder when we make sufficient progress on the substantial objectives of freedom.

Over the past few weeks, I undertook "walks of solidarity" with marginalised communities to highlight the difficult circumstances under which South Africans must make their way daily. One such walk was with women in Brandfort in Free State, who have to walk many kilometres each day to collect water from waterworks.

Women I spoke to had not given up on gender equality enshrined in the Constitution. They look to Parliament to narrow the gap between the constitution and the lives they lead.

We have one of the highest rates of female participation in Parliament, but most women continue to bear the brunt of abuse and injustice .

We must build a smart and capable State to provide basic services, to be integrated with providing women with life-changing opportunities, with educational and economic freedom and a safe environment.

  • Mazibuko is leader of the DA in Parliament

Comments

Sun May 19 13:18:20 SAST 2013 ::
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May 7, 2012

FrantzFanon.Lives

That's surely a spat in the face of the Premier of the Western Cape (Helen Zille) who has seen it fit to deployee an All White Male cabinet.
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May 7, 2012

Fred55

I agree with Lindiwe 100%! A truly free and advanced society looks after its women and the vulnerable.

In countries like Sweden and Norway and woman can walk down an empty street at 3am and she will be safe. In South Africa she wouldn't get three meters before she is gang raped.

During the struggle, women were so strong and fought so hard. Remember the slogan "touch a woman you touch a rock"? What has happened since then?

The ANC womens League is too busy supporting Jacob Zuma and his corrupt cronies so that they can chase tenders. What is the department of woman and children doing besides going on expensive overseas trips?

Women shouldn't vote for party that doesn't serve their interests.

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May 7, 2012

JajazQueen

Our newspapers are really pathetic. This article has nothing to do with Lindiwe, personally I know that she or the DA have no programmes to combat r.a.p.e and abuse of women and kids. This is just a publicity stunt. Like the skills development programmes they 'implented' the issue will go no where. The shadow parliament is not even a shadow anymore. Our politicians really do not care for the state of female safety in SA.
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May 7, 2012

Fred55

ajazQueen
Our newspapers are really pathetic. This article has nothing to do with Lindiwe, personally I know that she or the DA have no programmes to combat r.a.p.e and abuse of women and kids. This is just a publicity stunt. Like the skills development programmes they 'implented' the issue will go no where. The shadow parliament is not even a shadow anymore. Our politicians really do not care for the state of female safety in SA.
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And what is the ANC doing Jaja? They are in power after all.
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May 7, 2012

MommaC

Its time that we heeded Annie Lennox and us sisters start 'doing it for themselves'. The SA women are the strongest and most capable in the world, we need to stand up for each other and stop waiting for someone else to do it for us. We cannot be forever volunteers for victimhood
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May 7, 2012

SKIZOBANTWANA

HELLEN ZILLE'S PUPPET
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May 7, 2012

JajazQueen

@Fred55

You need to learn to read...I said politicians. Please do not drag me into a stupid political slugging session. This is about a very important issue....r.a.p.e. You really need to get a life and have the common sense to know when to do your political party allegations sessions. Our women are under siege and you have the indecency to be petty!

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May 7, 2012

mamame

@JajazQueen: "Our newspapers are really pathetic. This article has nothing to do with Lindiwe..."

The article was WRITTEN BY LINDIWE!
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May 7, 2012

Click

Great.. Now all we need from you "Britney Spears" is a well written diet plan.. Thanks

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May 7, 2012

BlackLion

The Earth Farm needs good citizens, simple as that. The Earth Farm needs people who will care for and love one another; the government cannot provide unfortunately.

It is the responsibility of each and every parent to raise their children as Humans; otherwise, how do you expect them to behave as such?

This is unfortunately one teaching that starts at home and nothing will ever change that; not even you Lindiwe.

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