The Liberal quota for gender parity and the empowerment of women in the public sector is constructed by averaging, in percentage terms, the number of women in the population, with the number of women in all parts of the economy, with the percentage of primary child caregivers (and in loco parentis) who are women.
This will yield, in a country like South Africa, where 55% of the population are women, where 70% of the people in the informal, formal and home economies are women and where 90% of the primary child caregivers are women, an average of 71.67% of all opportunities in the public sector, that is in government, statutory bodies, civil-society organs, multi-national corporations and public companies, should be allocated to women.
Now those who wish to deny the gender imbalance in South Africa will say that we don’t need this quota, and though yes, it is rather draconian to impinge upon the liberty of the individual by prescribing how seats and jobs should be allocated, it is also rather draconian that in 2009 we continue to have a situation where women continue to be marginalised by the nature of the patriarchal system.
I will admit that I am a Nyanga, and as such I live within the cultural paradigm of a matriarchal society, given that our creed and faith, thousands of years old as it is in its modern form, is wholly centred on the worship and propitiation of “mother nature” in all her guises, visages and forms. This naturally makes me more predisposed to want to ensure that the people who have the power to act, do in fact have the capacity to deliver. After all, my matriarchal faith is 100% guaranteed in terms of the efficacy of the blessing of my ancestors, which I receive.
And so we see that women have been deployed to run the DA’s Western Cape parliamentary caucus, because the caucus leader, chief whip and the premier, among others, are women. We also see that women hold committee chairpersonships in the legislature, and in South Africa a parliamentary committee chairperson is the third most powerful politician after the minister and deputy minister, in this case MEC, of that portfolio. Finally there are large numbers of women in the Western Cape and Western Cape municipal governments, working from the lowest to the highest levels of the public services.
But we also see that there is this group of men, who occupy the whole of the cabinet in the Western Cape government. And thus the ANC cries foul, the Commission for Gender Equality cries foul, MK’s war veterans cry foul, Cosatu & Co. cry foul, and Julius Malema cries fowl. Indeed what has been most interesting has been the manner in which the ANC, having lost Cape Town and the Western Cape due to the lethargy, dishonesty and rank, fetid corruption festering within the Wes Kaap ANC, have now decided to make the Western Cape “ungovernable”.
Indeed it is strange the Camp JZ should mimic the words of Comrade OR Tambo, someone who assuredly would have been invited to join Team Thabo, and that they should choose to do this after seeing their arse in the election. Indeed one wonders if the ANC Comrades in Cape Town had spent less time stealing from government and more time doing the work of the ANC, that perhaps, just perhaps, the ANC would do better in elections, rather than as per the steady downward trend it has been on since 1994.
But most of all to the so-called war veteran who said, on SABC News, that “their (MK) soldiers would now make the Western Cape ungovernable” — let me say this — SHUT UP and SHUT UP NOW.
Who do you think you are to threaten the sanctity and sovereignty of my South African country? The people have spoken, the people have chosen the DA in the Western Cape, and mena abantu abakwazulu have chosen JZ in KwaZulu-Natal, do you really want the Western Cape and the Kingdom of KwaZulu to become unstable in waves of political violence? Grow up, stop playing toy soldier and get a real job.
On behalf of every MK soldier who ever worked in Durban, on behalf of every person who provided safe houses and protection to the ANC in exile and underground, on behalf of every person who protected our MK soldiers and ANC intelligence staff during Operation Vula — and yes, I do speak on behalf of these people — please do yourself a favour and grow up enough to be mature enough to accept the results of the election as declared by the IEC, which was in itself appointed by the ANC government.
And being privy to the truth as I am, I say to the 13 ANC politicos in the Western Cape who stand to lose millions because your cronies can’t provide you with soft tenders any more — please stop inciting civil unrest and public violence and stop fomenting insurrection. I charge the people who have threatened to make the Western Cape ungovernable with TREASON and SEDITION committed against the new, non-racial, democratic South Africa, as founded by President General Mandela (yes, he is still our MK Commander in Chief).
You have been warned. If you want a civil war, you can have one, at the end of it, half your soldiers will be out of commission and the ANC will wash its hands of you entirely. JZ is a soldier, he’s an MK soldier, but if any of the Cosatu or MKMVA thugs undermine the legitimacy of JZ’s presidency, it will literally be the last thing that you do.
And for your information the Liberal Party of SA, of Alan Paton, has its own paramilitary wing for the purpose of ensuring that private citizens are able to defend their person, families and homes. And would you believe that this Liberal militia was established by none other than MK itself! And now it serves the DA — so to the MKMVA and Cosatu Wannabe Thugs … Come an Hava Go if Yeh Think Yeh Hard Enough!
It is disgraceful in the extreme for a bunch of male thugs to threaten a women premier but naturally mother Africa will defend all of her daughters who hold office everywhere in South Africa. Oh and incidentally, the way the DA cabinet in the Western Cape is structured, there’s a bunch of men who stand to get fired if the women working under their direction(s) don’t do their jobs. So that’s a situation where women get the power, the opportunity and the capacity while the men take the blame and get the chop should there be lapses in service delivery.
Yes, that means the DA government in the Western Cape is the most women-empowered government in the African Union. Will the commissioners for gender equality please resign as you are evidently not fit to hold public office. A Luta Continua Comrades, Amandla Matla !!!
There it is folks! Proof once again that it is dangerous to blog before you’ve applied your mind properly. This is a joke! Right? I have a feeling the punch-line will disrupt my sleep tonight. I look forward to a hearty laugh.
Peu
Well done on a well thought article. Your words echo my thoughts precisesly. I have always believed in a equal opportunity goverment and the DA is the epitamy of this. The Anc is playing a very poor loser and should stop trying to ensure that the Western Cape goverment fails but rather do what the DA did while they were in power which is help ensure that the people are served. It is not about yourself but rather about the people you chose to serve by becoming a public servant.
Avishkar – I solute you!. I wish we had more people with your brilliant intelligence, and people who do not flinch away from the truth.
Voltaire said: ” I may not agree with what you say, but I am prepared to sacrifice my life for your right to say it”
This dishonest, confusing diatribe laden with venomous rants once again fails to justify your support of the DA. In fact, using your contorted logic, you could even claim that the DA represents blacks more than any other party! You seem like an educated guy in some respects, so short of dishonesty, I cannot understand why you attempt to justify the composition of Zille’s cabinet.
Quite apart from the fact that the ANC only had one woman in their own Provincial Cabinet for the Western Cape anyhow.
They would serve the people better by concentrating on the mammoth problems in the rest of the country where they do rule.
Bravo!
Wow! Well said indeed. The truth will out.
@dave:
“You seem like an educated guy in some respects”.. hmmmm. Methinks you rate yourself. I’ve seen your scribblings and failed attempts to say something of consequence all over this blog. Please do us all a favour and point us towards your enlightened work- yes the kind of content your ill-earned cynicism eludes to.
The stuff you scoff at may be shite when observed through your shit-stained glasses but at least this blogger, and others, write some good old impassioned shite whereas you, it seems, can’t even write any shite- so what does that make you?
One more thing Dave: when one makes a plea out of love & concern for their country when they feel an injustice is occurring- the act of doing so is known as civil courage. Taking cheap, technical shots at such an attempt is cowardly and, more importantly, worthless.
This was a responsible, courageous article.
Thank you Avishkar !
hmm…”Imodium”, upset stomach?
Good blog and quite similar to some of the things that I’ve been muttering about “treason”.
Lyndall Beddy: May I introduce you to Lynne Brown AND Tasneem Essop. I know it’s not a lot but accuracy, please!
My only other sadness is the abominable spelling in the responses.
@Dave Harris
As a perennialy painfully PC blogger, you should know that the ability of a public servant to represent the interests of constituents is independent of the race or gender of such a servant.
Can Barack Obama not adequately represent whites in the U.S.?
Would a white president necessarily fail or be less adequate in addressing the interests of African Americans because of racial difference?
Calls for racial and gender ‘equality’ are merely a form of prejudice, i.e. ‘if you’re not like me you can’t serve me or represent me, I,m more comfortable with and demand to be served by my own kind!’
Classic prejudice Big Time!
Everyone (with decency and wisdom) is pleading to give Zuma a chance to prove his worth. Thus ANCYL and fellow travellers practice what you preach with Zille and the DA who were elected by S. Africans, let them govern and attack their failures there.
Brent
I dont agree with the extremism in the article. I agree that one does not need women in power in order to represent and address the needs of women.
I mean, what is more important? The “rights” of six women or the improved service that the remainder of women in the WC would recieve if the best people for the jobs got them?
And I agree the ANC is being hypocritical in the first instance, as their previous cabinet had ONE WOMAN!
To Dave
Perhaps you could enlighten us and justify your position with some detail instead of your ranting and raving response that has no substance.
The article put a nice spin on things, and all of us should be supporting all of government irrespective of our individual political leanings. The election is over, it’s time for the elected officials to make good their promises made prior to them being elected.
Mark
Lynne Browne was a last minute stopgap after Rasool stuffed up on the illegal Erasmus Commission, and Tasneem Essop was the one woman.
Peter, the point of my comment is that Avishkar should firstly be HONEST about Zille’s cabinet.
Perlie Joubert’s May 8 excellent article http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-08-return-of-the-white-men first uncovered this injustice.
Secondly, there is nothing PC about Affirmative Action. AA is aimed at redressing hundreds of years of oppression of blacks. In the US, Obama is a firm believer in AA consequently tries to make his administration reflective of the population of the US. Zuma has been trying to do the same in his cabinet choices. Zille, still stuck in the politics of the last century, stubbornly want to maintain the old boys country club.
Yes, the race of the president should not matter but given SA’s tragic history, can’t you understand why we’re not yet a white president? In a generation or two however, when “Mandela’s children” – growing up without the sickness of apartheid, it may be entirely feasible for SA to elect a white president.
Striving for racial and gender parity is necessary to address centuries of discrimination STILL pervasive our society. Its also good for business – ALL major globally competitive companies see diversity as a strength. Zille refuses to learn from other multi-cultural societies (US or UK). The white dominated DA has turned out to be a Lite version of the old National Party and urgently needs new leadership in order to survive.
Perry Curling-Hope, apologies for calling you Peter in my previous comment.
you go boy! more of these an maybe some one will sit up and take notic!
Dave Harris
The USA (and presumably Obama) abandoned AA years ago – the USA Supreme Court found it to be unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Lyndall
I forgot to mention Kholeka Mqulwana.
Lyndall Beddy- you smoke and talk too much. AA is still the law in the U.S! Please try to think before speaking.
Thank you Pasile for setting Lyndall Beddy straight. I wonder if Lyndall Beddy is just plain clueless or deliberately misrepresents facts.
Lyndall the 2003 court ruling that you allude to was the result of the Bush administration politics and had to do with university admissions not AA per se. A court ruling that has been largely ignored by all the universities. To understand AA in the US you need to understand their legal system.
As they say, a little knowledge is sometime dangerous and you’ve just proven that Lyndall.
now SASCO will make UNISA ungovernable… whats next… i reckon they shud try find a shebeen to make ungovernable – lets see how long that lasts