SOUTH Africa shot itself in the foot by banning corporal punishment in schools, says ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.

Mantashe says the embargo is an example of how some of the solutions to the oppressive society the country came from have created new problems.

During an interview with Sowetan Mantashe described the banning as "addressing an extreme situation by adopting an equally extreme solution ".

"Some of our solutions have created problems," said Mantashe.

He conceded that he still used "a switch" to discipline his younger children.

"I am not going to borrow from a foreign culture to bring up my own kids. As long as we are not allowing a balanced way of bringing up our kid(s) - then we are in trouble."

Mantashe believes the outlawing of corporal punishment in schools needs to be revisited, because it has not been effective.

But Mantashe insists parents must have the right to exercise control over their children.

The father of three adult children and a 17-year-old says he has never used a fist or slapped any of his offspring.

He also believes it is wrong to use a belt, a stick or a sjambok to discipline children.