For the past three weeks we have been treated to a feeding frenzy around the deaths of two women due to violence in South Africa, by the media, by politicians and by commentators (myself included). But I am wondering if we are not losing sight of what is really at stake here.
As a commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality I attended the memorial service for Anene Booysen and the court case on February 12. At the memorial service I was struck by how politicised the service became (at some points speakers referred to it as “a rally”). What struck me was the fact that most of the speakers were men, pledging allegiance to getting rid of “the scourge” of gender-based violence, exorcising the demons from the Bredasdorp community. Fists were shaken in the air and struggle songs sung. The media both local and foreign was there, voyeuristically sending messages of condolences, political speeches and platitudes into the world, to show just how debased the South African society is.
What also struck me was the attire some people elected to wear on this day. Some women supporters of the ANC wore green T-shirts sporting the slogan “100% Zumantashe”. How appropriate is it to wear this T-shirt at a memorial service for a rape victim, when another T-shirt with the slogan “100% Zulu boy was worn to discredit a rape victim? MK veterans wore military fatigues, acting as bodyguards for some of the politicians, turning the hall into a “militarised zone”. If men forge their masculinities through violence what inappropriate reminder is this of men’s violence against women? Let us not forget the rape is a weapon of war in war zones (and South Africa has more rape victims than some war zones).
One politician found it necessary to turn this event into a platform for his own political agenda and gain. Why did the ANC find it necessary to start a battle with the DA, accusing a DA politician of supporting gangs on the Cape Flats, at this particular moment? It prompted the DA representative to leave the hall, while the distraught family of Anene Booysen sat there, shocked by the political circus. Have we so little respect for the grieving that comes with every dead body of a woman raped and killed? An ANC spokesperson was suspended for calling this behaviour of a senior politician inappropriate.
The same feeding frenzy continued at the Bredasdorp court. Fast forward two days and Reeva Steenkamp’s body becomes yet another battleground. Newspapers choose to use banner headlines and black backgrounds. Oscar is turned into the victim but it begs the question why was he allowed to own so many guns? The Pistorius case highlights the high level of gun violence in South Africa, so often with women as victims. Pistorius is not the victim here. In this frenzy we lose sight of the fact that Booysen and Steenkamp lost their lives and so do many other women on a daily basis.
In his State of the Nation address President Jacob Zuma announces that the justice, crime prevention and security cluster needs to put measures in place on national, provincial and local level using allocated courts with prioritised court roles level to deal with violent protest, but he does not do this for gender-based violence, while the statistics for gender-based violence is so much higher than for violent protest.
He suggests we should rather use the existing legislation (the national policy framework for the Sexual Offences Act has yet to be implemented) that we know fails in its implementation.
Magistrate Desmond Nair’s scathing attack of the investigating officer in the Oscar Pistorius bail hearing, about his incompetence in getting the necessary evidence to deal with the bail application shows just why so few rape cases go to trail (about 14%). If the police does such sloppy work in a high-profile case, what happens in cases of women whose names never even reach the newspapers? No arrests have, for example, been made In the case of Sihle Sikoji, the lesbian who was killed in Nyanga in October 2012, despite the fact that there were witnesses.
The police, the political system and communities fail these women, yet the media become voyeurs in the gory detail of two cases at the cost of looking at the bigger picture of the endemic nature of gender-based violence in South Africa, and as such lose sight of why so many women die.
I have been completely disgusted by our media, aghast at our politicians, horrified by our police and embarrassed by our NPA. All in all, it has left me feeling very angry about the current state of affairs in SA. Now all I need is to find a way to help fix it. So far, my thoughts have been rather uncivilized so a suggestion on how to do this without bloodshed would be most welcome
I’ve been reading various articles about Anene Booysen and Reeva Steenkamp in this online addition. 150 people viewed this article during the day and no comments have been made yet. I wonder why not. I agree that the ANC politicians’ behaviour at the memorial service of Anene Booysen was completely inappropriate. I actually do not have strong enough words to express my disgust. South Africa is, indeed, in a sorry state. I wonder what the cure is?
Amanda, thank you for a seldom calm assessment and gentle approach pointing towards our society ills, without the usual political twists or whining! Hidden within are volumes of issues- if openly debated probably unleashing the usual diverse firestorm!
Guess, you have the advantage to challenge your students in a less hostile forum- shielded from the usual die hard political warriors!
Wishing you many “Views” on your article, resulting in exensive soul searching!
… and this platform for you is what?
A commentator mentioned elsewhere on this topic that a campaign similar to HIV awareness should be launched. Daily reporting in all media, i.e. radio, newspaper, tv: conferences should be held, help centres in all areas (maybe the dept of women children and disabilities should buy cheaper furniture and the rest of the money go on these campaigns.)
I’ve been silenced how often by people I (used to) fraternise with about this topic. Oh please, let’s talk about something else. Fellow females included. Why?
So ironic to have a President shouting the odds about the Sexual Offences Act when he himself was once accused of ignoring it! Correct – I mean our President. Sets the example for the men!
Yesterday morning I was struck by particular advertisement which relayed a court decision to mete out harsher jail sentences (111 years says the headline) to those who steal electricity as part of syndicates (Die Burger, 25 February 2013). I also read Prof. Amanda Gouws’s article which lambasts politicians for using Anene Booysen’s funeral as an opportunity for political posturing and point scoring. I felt personally appalled by how the very private space of a family in grief was usurped for political benefit. I was reminded of how once again here is an example of how those who are meant to be servants of the people (the politicians) serve only their political interests. To the grieving families of our many daughters, who we have lost because of male violence against women, do not let politicians make mockery of your pain! I hope that our judges will demonstate that we valued the lives of these women and children more than we do electricity!
@Amanda in the advent of ALL the crime against women and children and noting the selective coverage of media one would wonder especially as a commissioner, why these anomalies are not being loudhailed from our rooftops particularly by those who should be leading on these issues! The wall of silence from civil society, womens forums, chapter 9 inst etc, IS deafening. On reading the above piece I am left with unease because it exposes the lack or sense of clarity, a complete lack of self examination and absolutely no idea of how to take our society forward. Instead you point fingers and arrogated that only some are allowed to speak out against this abysmal situation we find ourselves in. And I wonder why this is. My personal conclusion is that those who represent women in civil society have NO understanding of the conditions of women and children except for an airconditioned-office-theory. This is borne out by the complete lack of concrete programs by these various groups. Hence the alternative question, who else but those who represent communities, who live within communities, who understand the dynamics of these communities are better placed to call people to action, en masse? The very first group to call for stronger bail conditions in ALL these instances were ANCWL. Hence Amanda, who is better placed to lead on these issues, when civil society stands by as mere spectators.
Amanda and those who have responded here just proves that there are people in South Africa who are desperately trying to work out what is wrong and what to do to mak eit right-that in itself is heartening. The media however brash have a role to play in getting us out of our comfort zones, shocking us into action of sorts – albeit with the intention to sell papers. I am sometimes of the opinion of Momma Lyndi here and have to check myself, having lived with an insecure spouse and a gun for many years – we should not have to be afraid all the time and of everything especially the people we know. Its a problem – violence – that we all must take ownership of and try to solve – from the violent computer games, music, movies-we become desensitised to what violence is. We have solutions i believe and they are simple, but are we willing to change our mindset? our behaviours? Question our moral standing, re-evaluate our values…..?
Ill conceived political behavior is once more blindly defended- let’s pose the question: should everyone be ‘allowed to have an unlimited number of children’ or a ‘right to have children’? Is it a sole private or public matter? Although the right to life is a universally recognized right for all human beings. The UN convention lists ~54 Articles on the rights of a child- to be protected by family and governmnet!
That necessitates and obliges both to allow the child to grow and develop under “favorable conditions” Nobody can guarantee that! What happens if one or both parties fail- as it happens too often- how unfair to the child to remain unprotected! Once a child grows unguarded into a young adult- who is responsible when the young adult becomes a danger and burden to society?
For many, when thinking about population policy and the law- is its enforcement only! Having children is a public matter- since its influences the lives of others! Until we have policies that reflect the truly public nature of having children, we will encourage irresponsible procreation- since the world recources are limited and so is its space. As pupulation grows, so wil the conflicts and quarrels!
To boast to understand the problem by strengthening bail conditions- due to a high profile case- is highly absurd, single minded and once more cheap politicking.
Maybe a look into the a.m. directions would be a worthwhile exercise by government and the informed civil society?
@Coral, CORRECTION…… Amanda or Mo CYn has shown absolutely no concern. Their response or reaction is one of cheap and increasingly poor rhetoric. If they have proposed any so-called solutions, pray tell where? I say this because in the WCape where this writer finds herself, the highest number of rape, gang violence, drugs, murder (yes Anene was murdered in that Province) etc etc takes place. If this is the case, then clearly the ones who do ALL the fingerpointing and who engage on this level in this exercise of cheap politicking, have failed. I would venture to say that these fingerpointers have no solutions.
Tofolux,
Do you ever actually READ anything or do you simply go off at your own tangent?
Or are you saying that Coral and I should nurture our more violent sides, haul out the hunting knives and go all DeathWish3 on the suspects?
If you really do think that rape only occurs in the Cape then you are clearly ill informed. It happens in the most rural village in the northern corners of Limpopo to the windy ocean views in the most southern tip of the Western Cape …. it occurs all over in every colour, economic, social and religious demographic all over our country
@Mo Cyn, actually yes I can read, in fact I can write as well. I can read and write in various languages, one of which would surprise even you.
The nations shallowness has more to do with the double standards:
The double standards when the Commission for Gender Equality and other exclusive “feminist” clubs stay silent and opposes gender parity legislation because if affects private industry, while our governments initiative has rapidly achieved almost 50% gender parity in government!!! Which other democratic government on the planet has achieved this?
The double standards to protect the white tribal DA party while the escalating gang violence and violent crime has occurred precisely under the DA’s heavy handed governance of the WCape and its slow but sure gentrification of Cape Town that has pushed blacks (Africans, Coloureds and Indians) further into the apartheid ghettos.
The double standards not to admit that the level of violence is largely a result of our brutally violent past and poverty created by our beneficiaries of apartheid clinging to their ill-gotten gains – land ownership, economic power, education privileges…not the police!!!
Tofolux
With or without Lipice?
Are you suggesting that we go feral on suspects or did you not bother to limber up your lips and read the comments?