Hansard: NA: Unrevised Hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 24 May 2017
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
WEDNESDAY, 24 MAY 2017
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MINI-PLENARY SESSION COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Members of the mini-plenary session met in Committee Room E249 at 16:20.
The House Chairperson Ms A T Didiza took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): May I ask the service officer to close the door please. Hon Members of Parliament, good afternoon. I know a lot of you had to move between a number of budget debates and I therefore understand why you are a bit out of breath some of you, but I am happy that you are here and good afternoon. Minister, the senior officials of the department, but also our guests who are here from a number of NGOs, we would like to welcome you to Parliament. Just minor House rules for those of you on what is called the gallery or our viewing area and our senior officials, you are now guests of Parliament and not just guests of your Minister.
As part of the House rules, when there is something that is exciting, you are not suppose to clap hands, but you can just smile or nod your heads. If there is something irritating that is being said, you can only make faces, but you cannot boo or clap hands.
These are just the House rules only for you. However, Members of Parliament do have rules that govern them and I will manage them in accordance with the rules. You are therefore welcomed. The Secretary will now read the order of the day.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote 13 — Women:
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Hon Chairperson, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Women, hon members and distinguished guests, I stand here today to table this Budget Vote at a time when our nation is in mourning about the brutality against women and children in our country. In the last few weeks, we have seen increasing brutality and violence against women and children.
These brutalities must rank as the highest form of betrayal for women and children to be killed by men, often their boyfriends, fathers, husbands, uncles and strangers who are supposed to love them.
These are violent crimes of power and control over women’s bodies and should be understood within patriarchal social realities. No woman or human being deserves this level of cruelty. Society as a whole must unite in fighting gender-based violence. It is in our power and within our means, even in the smallest way to contribute to the fight against the abuse of women and children.
This year coincides with the celebration of 100 years our struggle icon OR Tambo. In invoking the spirit of OR Tambo, we should remain constantly concerned by the extent to which our economy is inclusive of women. This concern would help us measure and assess our progress in relations to gender transformation and empowerment of women. In the words of OR Tambo at the conclusion of the Conference of the Women session of the ANC in Luanda in 1981 he said and I quote:
The mobilisation of women is the task, not only of women alone, or men alone, but of all of us, men and women alike, comrades in struggle. The mobilisation of the people into active resistance and struggle for liberation demands the energies of women no less than of men. A system based on the exploitation of man by man can in no way avoid the exploitation of women by the male members of society. There is therefore no way in which women in general can
liberate themselves without fighting to the end the exploitation of man by man, both as a concept and as a social system.
The freedom that we enjoy today, which we must never take for granted is an outcome of selfless efforts of freedom fighters which include women led by OR Tambo.
Our Vision 2030 of the National Development Plan and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs sets targets for addressing persistent discrimination against women and addressing patriarchal attitudes and access to education. The department will monitor the extent to which employment is expanded to provide work for the unemployed, with a specific focus on young women.
Further, our programmes are structured to respond to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.
The primary mandate of the department is to lead, co-ordinate and oversee the transformation agenda on women’s socioeconomic empowerment, their rights and equality. The department has received an unqualified audit for the financial years 2014-15 and 2015-16
respectively. I want to commit that we will continue to strive to achieve clean audits for the remaining final years of this term.
Chairperson, today we are tabling the budget allocation for the financial year 2017-18 which is a total of R206,1 million. The net budget of the department is R127 million allocated to compensation of employees; goods and services; transfer and subsidies and capital payments.
The R78,2 million is a transfer payment to the Commission for Gender Equality, a critical institution of our constitutional democracy.
The money for this financial year is allocated across three budget programmes as follows: Social transformation and economic empowerment with an allocation of R9,6 million; the Policy, Stakeholder Co-ordination and Knowledge Management, with an allocation of R26,7 million; administration with an allocation of R83 million.
The department restructuring has prioritised the need for management competency to drive our programmes. This was necessary to address the misalignment of a department with higher percentage of lower skilled employees.
When the department was formed its Information and Communication Technology, ICT, was linked to the Presidency. We have now established our own separate ICT unit with separate ICT licensing and we are confident that this will improve the performance of our systems.
After restructuring, the percentage of administrative staff across the department now constitutes 18%. Middle management constitutes 20% and senior management represent 62%. I am bringing this to the attention of the House to recognise that we are no longer a top heavy department.
Overall, the restructuring of the department is now streamlined into two line-functions programmes to deliver efficiently on the mandate. With the limited resources that we have, we may not be able to fully realise OR Tambo’s vision as outlined in 1981.
We will focus on amongst others government’s implementation of the Nine-Point Plan in unblocking obstacles to the financial inclusion and empowerment of women. Elements of the Nine-Point Plan that the programme will be focusing on include monitoring ownership and management control, development finance and enterprise development, access to credit, land and property.
In his state of the nation address, our President called on government to continue prioritising women’s access to economic opportunities and in particular to business financing and credit.
In collaboration with the research institutions, we will assess the contribution of government incentive schemes to the empowerment of women in terms of employment, socioeconomic empowerment and development. We hope that this study will shed light on areas of our economy where women are less involved. The findings will help us understand the extent to which our economic growth is inclusive and shared and to help government implement appropriate measures for redress.
We will also be able to be looking into integrating gender into national plans programmes and budgets. We will engage the Department of Public Service and Administration on correct location and functions of the Gender Focal Points.
The department has established a multidepartmental National Task Team to develop a policy framework for the provision of free sanitary towels to indigent girls and women. The Task Team is led by the director-general and has since started working on a draft policy
framework on government provision of sanitary dignity products. [Applause.]
[Interjections.]
Chair, they are disturbing me. Can you please intervene?
Our policy proposal is informed by the premise that no woman would have to make a choice between sanitary towels and a meal.
Our business case proposes an integrated public policy to support sanitary dignity products to indigent girls and young women, learners in government schools, students in higher education and women in the care of the state.
During the 16 Days of Activism, President Jacob Zuma launched our National Dialogues as #365 Days of no Violence against Women and Children in Limpopo.
The objectives of our National Dialogues is to strengthen community participation and for us to address the magnitude of violence against women to understand its manifestations and causes and to enhance community action.
Lessons from our pilot in the Limpopo have revealed some social challenges confronting our communities amongst others is high rate of unemployment, incest, alcohol abuse with men spending more time in shebeens, the belief that raping an elderly will cure Aids, men refusing to go home for various medical tests, all of which contribute to violence against women.
We have worked together with the Ekurhuleni Skills Development Canter, where we have identified 20 young in Limpopo who will be coming to Ekurhuleni for skills development. These are women who come from indigent families who are now undergoing training. [Applause.]
We will be rolling out dialogues in Mpumalanga province.
Our Techno Girl Programme continues to create opportunities for girls on job shadowing in partnership with private sector companies, state agencies and organisations during school holidays. Today the programme has produced over 12 000 women who have been absorbed by different industries. Partners agreed that there would be continuity in supporting the girls beyond high school to ensure sustainability of the initiative.
In celebrating Africa Month today, tomorrow is the 25 May which is Africa Day. [Applause.] The approach by our government and the department is deciding to link the Africa Month to the African Children. Our Take a Girl Child to Work programme in partnership with Cell-C will include participation of school girls from Southern African Development Community, SADC, countries to ensure that young people embrace the theme of togetherness. We are one! We will also be hosting Miss Lesotho, Miss Namibia, Miss Botswana and Miss South Africa as role models for our young learners.
We have included two girls from each SADC country will be coming to job shadow and learn from us. A total of 36 girls from Gauteng province and two girls from each province will be participating. The programme to take a girl child to work intends to advance the girl child through job shadowing. The theme for this year is ―Dream, Believe and Achieve‖.
The campaign is in line with Goal 5 of Sustainable Development Goals to promote women empowerment and gender equality. Over the years this campaign has assisted the girl child to make informed choices on their future careers. Also to mention that last year, a record of 720 corporates partnered with Cell C to host an estimated 50 000 school girls from Grade 10 to 12.
I wish to commend Cell C for their continued efforts to uplift and empower young girls. Equally so, I wish to commend all the companies that are participating in the campaign and wish to encourage others to join. Corporate South Africa’s valuable contribution to the education of our nation to make us proud is very important.
This year we will be celebrating Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of pass laws to women, but also which has led us to be free today. I stand on this podium as a beneficiary of those mothers who marched to the Union Buildings.
This year, the celebration will take place under the theme, ―Women United in Moving South Africa Forward.‖ Whilst there is good reason to celebrate, it must also be born in mind that there is more to be done in order to address the plight of women.
The national celebrations will be held in the Northern Cape province and all efforts will be made in highlighting the plight of women in that province.
The Women’s Month programme will also include the province on the National Dialogues on Violence against Women being rolled out in the Northern Cape.
This government has made remarkable advances in promoting and advancing the interests of women across our society, in terms of political representation in our judiciary, where 36% are women and in corporate and in overall improvements in livelihoods for women and mothers in our rural areas.
The discourse on women participation in our economy must fit into the minds of all decision-makers. It is about accepting the same qualities in women unconditionally as they are in men.
Recent studies have found correlations between full participation of women in the economy, growing family incomes and economic growth.
The pool of companies with diverse boards has grown enough to establish evidence and not rely on untested assumptions. It is not only about women in corporate boards, but it is equally about women as executive directors involved in day-to-day operations of a business.
It is the position of this government that it is only through full engagement of the talents and skills of women in the workplace that will grow our economy and become more productive and prosperous as a nation.
We acknowledge that women remain economically marginalised and under-represented in such spaces as academia. We have fewer women professors nationally, fewer women in business and in the construction and other technical industries.
However, I wish to acknowledge the increasing number of women in higher places and in women ways replete with intellectual beauty. When I talk about beauty, I do not talk about my skin, but I am talking about inner beauty.
We once more commend the President for appointing for appointing Justice Mandisa Maya as the female President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. We wish her well and success in this critical role in one of the three branches of our constitutional democracy. [Applause.] This should help inspire young women law students, advocates and attorneys to aim higher and believe they too can make it.
I would also like to applaud all the women who were recipients of the National Orders conferred by President Zuma on Freedom Day this year.
Earlier this year, representatives of Member States gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 61st Commission on the Status of Women to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide. The commission this year deliberated under the theme of
―Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work.‖
The CSW 61 session concluded with a set of Agreed Conclusions in which South Africa insisted on the inclusion of critical issues such as sexual harassment, women’s rights for labour associations, access to broadband by women and girls, addressing the SDGs as a whole as these are barriers to women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.
In preparation for the 2018 CSW 62nd session, the department will work in collaboration with other government departments, civil society and private sector to advance our national interest and views for the purpose of influencing the global agenda on the theme
which says ―Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.‖
Hon Chair, I want to pause that this must not cause conflict and tension on who goes to New York and who does not go.
In parallel with the 61st Session Commission, UN Youth Forum held a successful second sitting focussing on issues relating to education and skills development for young men and women to access finance and economic opportunities, combating alcohol and substance abuse and dealing with issues of HIV.
While South Africa youth participated for the first time this year, we need to ensure international exposure and participation of South Africa consistently at the UNCSW Youth Forum on the empowerment of young women as leaders. The department will liaise with all partners in South Africa as well as government departments to identify young people who can be participants at this newly established forum.
The SADC, meeting of the Ministers Responsible for Gender and Women Affairs held in June 2016 in Gaborone, Botswana, made recommendations now, approved for amendments to the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development which includes the prohibition of marriage of
girls below the age of 18. Therefore, noting that the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development is a legally binding instrument as South Africa, we need to align our laws in a way that will make sure that we advance the interest of the girl child.
South Africa is also a signatory to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in 1997 and we subsequently ratified the same in the year 2000. Amongst others, the Charter seeks to protect children under harmful social and cultural practices and prohibits the betrothal of girls and boys. It also calls upon governments to enact legislation to specify the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years and make compulsory the registration of all marriages in an official register.
It is important to emphasise our commitment to regional legal instruments to address discrimination and violence against women. We will be working with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on amendments to review the reservations placed by South Africa on the Maputo Protocol ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): Order hon members. Order, order, order hon members! Can we please ... Order! Hon member of the DA, you cannot interject the speaker on the podium. [Interjections.]
Ms T E BAKER: I am sorry, Madam Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): Can you stand? Can you ... [Interjections.]
Ms T E BAKER: I am sorry, Madam Chair. If I may, hackling is allowed in a debate and this member on the podium just asked me if I am drunk. I object. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): Order, hon member! Order! Hon member, can you take your seat? Hackling is allowed is allowed, but drowning a speaker is not allowed. And I was trying ...
[Interjections.]
No.
Hon members, I was trying to appeal to all of you that we can converse and hackle, but not in a manner that disturbs any one on the podium and not just the Minister, any hon member who is on the podium has aright to be heard and I am appealing. This room is smaller than the National Assembly and therefore the noise level becomes much higher. So, I am appealing to all of us that even
though we do what we have to do as parliamentarians, filibustering, hackling, but we must also be cognisant that the space in which we are, is not like in the National Assembly and therefore it is easy to distract somebody on the podium and I do not think that it is our intention.
[Interjections.]
Exactly. Can your proceed hon Minister.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Thank you, Chair. It is important to emphasise our commitment to regional legal instruments to address discrimination and violence against women. We will be working with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on amendments to review the reservations placed by South Africa on the Maputo Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The protocol enshrines the principles of nondiscrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth or other status.
Furthermore, the 2017 African Union theme ―Harnessing the Demographic Divided through the Youth‖ in line with Malabo Declaration theme ―Creating Employment for Accelerating Youth Development and Empowerment‖. To harness demographic dividend from the young women populations, we should ensure that young women have access to developmental finance and developmental opportunities. We should ensure that at the national level, we create opportunities through vocational and technical training and the removal of all barriers that prevent the female youth from labour force participation.
In addition, the department will be engaging the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to address some of the deficiencies of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000. This is necessary to prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination and harassment in relation to women, promote equality and eliminate unfair discrimination and also prevent hate speech.
May I take this opportunity Chair, to thank my director-general, Ms Jenny Schreiner and her team for their continued support and their sterling work in repositioning the department to meet its new mandate.
In conclusion, as we look on the years since the establishment of this department, we are alive to the reality that we are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing towards it, the process is not yet finished.
Allow me Chair, to remind this House once more of the message by President Oliver Tambo on the occasion of the 72nd Anniversary of the ANC where he said and I quote:
Our struggle will be less than powerful and our national and social emancipation can never be complete if we continue to treat the women of our country as dependent minors and objects of one form of exploitation or another. Certainly no longer should it be that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. In our beleaguered country, the woman’s place is in the battlefront of struggle... [Applause.]
Freedom would be meaningless if the majority of our citizens cannot walk freely in our streets. Freedom will be meaningless if our children cannot play freely in their neighbourhood. Freedom will be meaningless if the home is no longer a safe place to be. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms T C MEMELA: Hon Speaker, hon Minister, hon Members of the Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Budget Vote
13 speaks to, and I am going to mention the names, Karabo Mokoena, 22, Lerato Moloi, 27, Popi Qwabe, 24, Bongeka Phungula, 28, Courtney Pieters, 3 and the many other nameless and faceless women who die at the hands of gender-based violence and for the millions more who die every day at the hands of our patriarchal society.
Women around the world have historically faced barriers that have hindered their ability to contribute meaningfully and the active participants in their economy. The legacy of apartheid in the context of South Africa is two-fold. The man was expected to be at work, the white man would be found in his office and in positions of power, while the black man’s work was predominantly found in the labour-intensive sector.
Both racial groups, despite the respective disparities, played active roles in the economic prospects of the country. Black and white women, on the other hand, were expected to assume the domestic roles in up keeping the homestead.
Whichever side of the racial spectrum you were on; the manifestation of patriarchy has always been a consistent factor. Patriarchy has
always been deeply engrained in cultural, educational and societal upbringing.
Hence, when the country gained its democracy in 1994, the ANC government dealt with legislative reform, but in hindsight, the shortfall of these reforms was the inability to dismantle a capitalist system indivertibly, continues to perpetuate patriarchy.
The United Nations Women correctly observes that, while there has been much progress towards women's rights over the decades, many gaps remain.
For women’s rights to become a universal reality, UN Women believes that it is critical to address the structural causes of gender inequality, such as violence against women, unpaid care work, limited control over assets and property, and unequal participation in private and public decision-making.
The ANC remains committed to the vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as enshrined in the Freedom Charter. The advancement of gender equality is an ideal that transcends our policies and should, thus, assist us towards the realisation of a National Democratic Society.
The Strategy and Tactics Document of 2012 correctly notes that while all communities, including the oppressors and the oppressed, evinced patriarchal relations of power, the struggle evolved to appreciate the real and potential role of women, and that their liberation from patriarchy was and should be an integral part of the new democracy.
Working off the backdrop of apartheid as well as the gap that had been unintentionally left by the ANC government, it is worth noting that the first two decades of democracy can be characterised by major advancements made by this government, some of which include, the establishment of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist political order; the introduction of democratic rights for all citizens and the establishment of vibrant institutions; a Constitution that forms the underlying foundation for women’s development, gender equality and a non-sexist society, and given effect through policies, legislations and institutions to give effect to this vision.
The realisation of mainstreaming gender equality found expression in 2007 when the ANC made progress with the establishment of a Women’s Ministry with its mandate to champion the advancement of women’s socioeconomic empowerment and the promotion of gender equality.
In President Jacob Zuma’s 2017 state of the nation address, the following highlights which affect the Department of Women were identified, to continue mainstreaming of the empowerment of women in all government programmes; prioritise women's access to economic opportunities, in particular business financing and credit; encouraging women to consider farming in order for them to benefit from government supported programmes such as small holder farmers and its commercialisation.
Gender equality in any society is a basic human right and the implementation of these rights is a priority to the ANC. Human rights; redress and transformation; inclusivity and social justice are only but a few principles that underpin the ANC’s Social Transformation efforts. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights feeds into many national constitutions, which expresses and acts as a basis of all human rights. Article 2 in this document states that:
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Programme 2, the department looks at the Social Transformation and Economic Empowerment of women in South Africa. The programme facilitates and promotes the attainment of women's socioeconomic empowerment and gender equality. The programme has five sub- programmes which pay particularly attention to achieving the programme purpose. Programmes look at the coordination of campaigns and projects that contribute to the elimination of gender based violence, developing interventions that allow women to have equal access to opportunities and participation in the mainstream economy and finally, promote equality and respect women’s rights. I will leave the programme because the Minister has the finances because Minister has actually stopped it.
Our annual targets for 2017-18 look at the developing, finalising and possibly implementation of policy frameworks such as that of the provision of sanitary dignity pads to indigent girls and women, women's financial inclusion, analysis of progress and impact of women of each component of the Nine-Point Plan, the Gender Responsive Budgeting and the Cabinet consideration of the report of the outcome of National Dialogues. Targets that relate to the access to sanitary pads and the financial inclusion of women speak to the continuation of the access to education for girls and young women
and the ability to participate in sports, cultural and social programmes.
It also speaks to accessing jobs, gender equity in employment, and equal pay for equal work of equal value. This addresses poverty and inequality in our communities and to ensure financial independence of women. The improvement of the economic situation is realised in the Nine-Point Plan, with an aim of creating an environment in which both the private and public sectors play an active role in the creation of jobs. As such, President Zuma has issued a directive to the Economic Ministers to place women on the centre of these plans and to ensure appropriate resourcing the empowerment of women in the economy.
Having considered the Strategic Plan, Annual Performance Plans and budget for the Department of Women in the Presidency and the Commission for Gender Equality, the committee recommends as follows: A more astute and stringent oversight measures was required to hold the department to account when receiving funding but not delivering as this was an indictment on the women in the country.
The committee recommends that the Minister of Women in the Presidency ensures the following are implemented.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): You have one minute left.
Ms T C MEMELA: Okay, in as much as South Africa has put policies in place to protect vulnerable groups within society, women in particular, remain disproportionately vulnerable to poverty. The social grant system is a representative of the milestones that government has taken to prioritise these vulnerable groups.
When looking at female-headed households versus male-headed households, for example, wage makes up a larger proportion of total income in male-headed households than in female-headed households.
It is worth noting that more conscious efforts need to be taken by all members of society, starting with the family upbringing and right up to the ways in which males and females are socialised. The ANC ...
The Acting Chairperson (Mr B L Mashile): The time is expired, Ma’am.
Ms T C MEMELA: Thank you very much.
The Acting Chairperson (Mr B L Mashile): Thank you very much.
Ms T C MEMELA: The ANC supports the budget. [Applause ]
Mrs D ROBINSON: Hon Chairperson, colleagues and visitors, in recent weeks South Africa has been rocked by the news coverage of the horrific suffering of victims of rape, abuse and assault and the anguish and heartache of the families of those who have been brutally murdered, set alight, stabbed and raped. I offer my sincere condolences on behalf of the Democratic Alliance.
There is a profound sense of sadness and shame amongst us at the loss of the characteristic South African ubuntu. What is it that has caused the brutalisation of our nation, the loss of moral compass the political and economic uncertainties, the debilitating poverty of a fragmented society? Or is it because we lack inspirational leaders in government who can be role models for young men in particular, showing what moral values, honesty and integrity are and have not themselves been caught up in corruption, self gratification and indulgence?
South Africans will never forget the tragic fate of Kwezi who was abandoned and hounded out of the country, and many others who have been victims of patriarchal attitudes that dictate that women are inferior beings whose human rights and wishes can be ignored or
sacrificed at the whim of a demanding, greedy or jealous man. As parliamentary leaders, we need to work through the racial polarisation that is being fomented deliberately as a diversionary lactic. We need to set aside the divisive politics and to look at healing our broken and suffering nation.
After all, the first responsibility of government is the safety and security of its people. Sadly the institutions of state that are meant to ensure this are flawed, particularly SAPS and the Department of Justice. We need tangible outputs from the Department of Women where there seems to be a lot of paper shuttling from its top heavy administrative component, even to the extent of changing its APP one month before the end of the financial year! They do not seem to have any clear direction after all this time.
A constant frustration of the committee has been the department’s lack of interest in attending oversight visits, usually quoting staff shortages, limited capacity and fiscal limitations. Yet the department sent a large delegation of nine officials to attend the 2017 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and they remained twice as long as the parliamentarians.
As Committee members we expressed concern that we did not receive legislative input from the department in terms of Bills coming before Parliament. For example, the Traditional Courts Bill, this is an important omission as it is vital that we, as the portfolio representing women, give our input as this will affect the status and quality of life of rural women. The lives of many women and their families are often devastated by domestic and gender based violence. Not only do they suffer physically and emotionally from the assaults but they often suffer secondary trauma when they approach the police because of the unsympathetic treatment they receive from some officers, or being ignored and sent away by the officer in charge who happens to be a drinking buddy of the perpetrator. It is also being reported that police officers do not respond to complains of infringement of protection orders. This is unacceptable as in many cases; this is the only protection that a woman has. Our police are not taking this issue seriously, the women suffer and more training and sensitivity training is needed.
There are insufficient female officers to assist the victim and often there is not even a secluded space where the questioning can take place. Compulsory victim friendly rooms are not found in over
189 police stations nationwide. Is this a government that cares?
Police officers need to receive specialised training in how to deal with assault because many of them are uninformed.
I recently visited a police station where none of the officers on duty could give me the telephone number of the FCS unit in their cluster. What does that say about lack of local training and caring! The DA is pleased that the FCS units that we lobbied for so vigorously have been reinstated but there far too few of them to provide an adequate service to all citizens.
I was glad to hear the new Minister of Police stating in his speech yesterday that he was going to make funding available to improve the infrastructure and provide more vehicles. I hope that Minister Balula will also make sure that we have more Thutuzela centres built as they are desperately needed. These are one stop shop concepts where victims of abuse can report the abuse; lay charges; receive medical treatment; and have access to social workers. These centres are usually only found in towns and cities and not in the vast rural areas where women have to walk great distances to reach police stations, hospitals or clinics. In most cases, they just suffer in silence and receive no help and so the patriarchal attitudes are conveyed to the children who also suffer but will often become abusers as well in later life. A vicious circle.
Greater consultation by the Department of Women with the Department of Justice could also help to lobby for improved court service.
There are too few magistrates, prosecutors, clerks, maintenance officers, financial advisers. Many court cases are remanded time and time again. In one case was remanded 69 times! I believe that a moratorium has been placed on the appointment of new staff in all positions within the justice system because of a lack of funding.
Imagine the current situation going go from bad to worse. We cannot do this to our citizens savings must be found elsewhere or funds reprioritised from some lavish event or trip.
Minister Shabangu, please add your voice to mine and be a champion, be strong. We cannot allow our citizens, especially women to suffer more in the magistrates courts or the maintenance Courts. We need to be persuasive and strong and stand up for what is right for the mothers of our nation and future generations. Enkosi. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Nks M S KHAWULA: Sihlalo, mhlonishwa wami ngapho ngaphambili, siyi- EFF siyayichitha i-Voti 13. Inkinga eyenza ukuthi siyichithe ukuthi lo mnyango awukhombisi ukukhathalela abantu besifazane neze, ngabe ekwezomnotho kanjalo kanye nezokuthuthukisa kwezamakhono. Akukho
nokukodwa okubonakalayo okuwumthetho obhekelele ukuthi bazibona beneqhaza abangalibamba emphakathini ukulwisana nobubha nendlala.
Kuyimanje kunemali engaphezulu kwezigidi ezingama-R203 ... [Ubuwelewele.]
English:
Ms S P KOPANE: On a point of order, hon Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Just hold on hon Khawula.
Ms S P KOPANE: Sorry to interject, that is not how I operate. Unfortunately the translation is not working. Can you please arrange that!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Thank you very much. Can one of the table staff just check around the issue of translation, proceed, hon Khawula.
IsiZulu:
Nks M S KHAWULA: Bengicela ukuthi lo mzuzu wami noma imizuzu niyifake ngoba sekuphele emihlanu. [Ubuwelewele.]
Kanjalo nakubantu besifazane, kumele sikhulume ngokubulawa kwabantu besifazane nokushushumbiswa kwabo nabantwana kuleli zwe elibuswa yi- ANC. Lo hulumeni we-ANC wehlulekile ukuvikela abantu besifazane. Lo hulumeni ubudedengu kakhulu futhi ukhombisa ukungabi nandaba nokuhlaselwa kwabesifazane nabantwana.
Kuyimanje nje baphelile abantu besifazane, njengoba lo ebaleka ngilokhu ngicula ingoma eyodwa. Bese kuthi lana ... [Ubuwelewele.]
... asilalelaneni bantwa bethu asilwi lana. Uhulumeni makazame ukulandela lamasonto angoqhibikhowe agcwele umhlaba wonke okutholakala ukuthi iningi lawo abamba abantu bakithi izimali zabo, ikakhulukazi zabantu besifazane. Benza lokhu ngokubathembisa inqina kamabuyaze. Baphinde bashushumbise abesimame nabantwana njengoba sibonile kumfundisi Omotoso.
Umnyango mawuphume uye ebantwini uyolalela izidingo zabo, ufunde ukuya emphakathini ukuyofundisa abantu ngamalungelo abo, ikakhulukazi emakhaya ngoba emakhaya abantu bakhona bagcina bezwile kodwa akukaze kuyiwe kubona nanoma ikhona imicimbi kahulumeni kodwa igcina emalokishini. Okubuhlungu ukuthi lo mnyango uphethwe ngabantu abamnyama. Ungqongqoshe yena ngeke ngimshaye kakhulu, kodwa ngizomshaya. Kungani ngizomshaya? Phela uma akulo mnyango nguye esithembele kuye mayelana nokuphepha kwabantu bakithi ukuthi
bazophepha, ikakhulukazi abantu besifazane. Uma nje ungaya laphaya eThekwini, kuchithwe amaphinifa, abantu besifazane bayadayisa bayathunga. Ungqongqoshe naye kumele simbone elekelela labaya bantu ukuthi abanike indlela yokuya phambili.
Kanjalo nokulima, niyabona ukuthi emhlabeni kukhona ondwede bayalima. Akabanike phela izimali ukuze baphile, ukuze bangaciki ebantwini besifazane. Omama basemakhaya abanayo imihlaba, izindawo azishodi khona. Angiphathi-ke indaba yokuhlukunyezwa nokungenelwa emakhaya. Bakithi, kunenkinga embi ngicela ukuthi umhlaba uyizwe le nto ngoba yihlazo kithina bantu abamnyama uthole ukuthi ugogo useyintandane akasana ngane izingane sezikhulule noma mhlawumbe sezishonile ngoba kuyafiwa manje. Uthole ukuthi kade ayehola imali, yona le engekho yesibonelelo. Phela le mali ekhishwa nguhulumeni we- ANC yincane ifana nale yabantwana, ayikho.
Into eyenzakayo la – ngifuna ukuthi izinswelaboya zizwe ukuthi ngithini, ngoba seziqale into embi. Laphaya kwaMaphumulo sibonile behlasela ogogo, bebahlukumeza bebashaya futhi bebaphuca izimali. Ngqongqoshe, ngiyacela ukuthi le nto ake ishabalale ngoba nangapha eNtshonalanga Kapa koNgqozi sithole ukuthi lokhu nakhona kuyenzeka. Laba bantu kufanele ukuthi batholakale baboshwe.
Ngqongqoshe, ikhona into engihlezi ngikhala ngayo ekomidini ukuthi ngiyacela u-17 emthandeni. Ngqongqoshe ngizocela ngokukhulu ukukhululeka ukuthi wenze isiqiniseko sokuthi uyalwa ukuze emakhaya kubekhona izinto ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-mobile. Ogogo bafa ngaphandle kwesidingo ngenxa yokuthi awekho ama-mobile. Uma engenayo imali yokugibela aye emtholampilo, uyahluleka ukuya. Sicela neziteshi zamaphoyisa. [Ubuwelewele.]
USIHLALO WENDLU (Mnu B L MASHILE): Siyabonga mamaKhawula.
Nks M S KHAWULA: Awungiyeke Sihlalo bakithi ...
USIHLALO WENDLU (Mnu B L MASHILE): Siyabonga.
Nks M S KHAWULA: ... ngithe kunemizuzu yami emihlanu edliwe. [Uhleko.] [Ihlombe.]
USIHLALO WENDLU (Mnu B L MASHILE): Siyabonga, sibonge kakhulu.
Nks M S KHAWULA: Ngqongqoshe, siyacela bakithi, lo mnyango mawusebenze. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
English:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Thank you, thank you mama. Hon Members, we are informed that we have challenges of interpreting into isiZulu. I am sure you know that three Houses are sitting now. Thank you.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Hon Chairperson, at the outset, I wish to pay tribute on behalf of the IFP to all the women and children who have lost their lives in the most brutal and horrific manner in recent days. We mourn their loss and honour their memory.
In recent years, we have paid tribute to, Anene Booysen and Reeva Steenkamp. Herein lies the problem with these debates. Every year, we come to this podium, to approve the budget of this department and others, and in the process, we pay lip service to the issues affecting women. But when we leave here, we act like there is no crisis. We ignore the fact that our women and children are facing war, at home and on our streets. Until the 16 Days of Activism campaign rolls around again, and MPs dust off their speeches, come back to this podium and we quote stale statistics.
However, no tangible difference is ever made, to stop gender based violence, and empower our women. We need to be honest with ourselves that we, as leaders of our society are not doing enough and our
government is simply not doing enough. For as long as women remain on the fringes of our economy. For as long as women still earn less than men. And while our women are raped, killed and tortured, we are failing our women.
The Department of Women in the Presidency has got limited resources and capacity, but its core function is that of monitoring and evaluation. And in this regard, they are unfortunately invisible.
This department remains in a perpetual state of reorganisation and re-planning. The bulk of its miniscule budget is spent on administration. While core programs are underfunded and therefore ineffective.
Without a monitoring and evaluation tool, it cannot even perform its basic function, of holding to account those that fail our women and children. The officials of this department attend to work in New York, but when it comes to the oversight work you at home, they are constrained by budget limitations. This is simply not good enough, Hon Minister. And I thank you for your honest assessment that we are not quite there where we need to be.
But beyond empty rhetoric and platitudes, we need urgent political will address women’s issues. As a start, we need to reject the department’s appetite for talk shops and seminars. The time for talking is long over. Instead, what we need now is a national funded plan to fight gender based violence, drawing together all sectors of our society. It must replace the current failed government plan and bolster grassroots initiatives, like the ―Not in my name campaign‖.
Minister, you have expressed a view which I now believe you have corrected that the late Karabo Mokoena was weak, which led to her succumbing to gender based violence. This is simply not true. She sought help from authorities. But what did the police do? They did nothing. Don’t howl at me. I am saying the Minster even corrected it
... [Interjections.]
Ms S P KOPANE: On a point of order, Chairperson!
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: ... she sought help from authorities, but what did the police do? Nothing.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Order. Let’s avoid exchanges.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: ... The system failed her.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon members, let’s avoid exchanges with the member on the podium.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: ... Chairperson, can I ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Just hold a second, hon Van der Merwe!
Ms S P KOPANE: House Chairperson, can you please protect our members when they are at the podium, especially the opposition. Please, react immediately.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): I will protect all members in the House. Thank you very much. Proceed.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: ... and also if members listened, I did say the Minister corrected herself. So I don’t know what their problem is. What I am saying is that she went to the police and they didn’t assist her and the system failed her.
In fact, many women who are battered, bruised shaken and weary, rise up, they rise up. They rise up against all odds and they find the courage to seek help at the police station and then they are turned away.
At hospitals, women face a second-round of victimization, when they are told they brought abuse upon themselves. Government has not prioritized shelters in our community. To make matters worse, the justice system fails our women by successfully prosecuting, perpetrators of violence. And what good is it to have a gender base violence call centre if no one knows the number? For example, do any of us here know what social development’s gender base violence call centre number is? We don’t. As the custodian of the rights of women, you must lead the charge at Cabinet level to right these wrongs. It cannot be that we have a system that allows abusers to feel safer, than victims of abuse. We cannot ask our communities, our men and boys to rise up, if we are sitting back.
Minister, I thank you for fulfilling your promise to me during last year’s budget vote, to prioritise the delivery of sanitary pads to needy school girls... [Interjections.] ... Why are you laughing?
Minister, it is time to start delivering on your core mandate. You must hold to account departments that are failing our women. Unless you get the basics right, this fight for gender equality will be lost. Despite these concerns, we support your budget because it’s far too small anyway. Let us rise together, and renew our fight to ensure the true emancipation of every women and child, we are meant to protect. I thank you.
Prof N M KHUBISA: Chairperson and hon Minister and Deputy Minister, Ministers present and Deputy Ministers, hon members, the stated purpose of the Department of Women is to lead, co-ordinate and oversee the transformation agenda on women's socio-economic empowerment, rights and equality, and to champion gender equality and the achievement of women's socioeconomic empowerment and rights.
Having said that Chairperson, as we engage in this debate today we need to ponder this questions seriously. What has gone wrong in our country? Why do we wake up every day with the ugly news of the murder of our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and our children? The brutal murder of Karabo Mokoena, Courtney Pieters and many other women and children is really shocking and very abominable in our country. Does it mean that our criminal justice system is weak?
Really, no minute nor second passes by without a woman raped, kidnapped, beaten, or killed. This phenomenon is outrageous.
We need a criminal justice system which will ensure that perpetrators of violence especially gender-based violence, against abuse of women and children, are arrested charged and sentenced and rot in jail immediately, so that they rot in jail. This then puts a challenge and a heavy responsibility on the security cluster of the government and sectors of our communities. The NFP wants to state it categorically today that our criminal justice system must be seen to be harsh and ruthless to those who are perpetrators of gender-based violence. Women and our children are not just statistics and they must be treated with the dignity they deserve.
Other questions that are pertinent to this debate are; (a) Are we doing enough to socially and economically empower our women and our daughters? Do we expose them to rigours of the world of work, business and entrepreneurship? Do they get access to education and skills to assist them towards taking a leadership role in the public and private sectors? This then begs the question, 23yrs into democracy. How many women are senior managers in the public and private sectors? How many of them lead companies that have taken
their rightful place in the Stock Exchange? We have to deal with attitudes of patriarchy and chauvinism in our country.
With regard to all of the above issues and questions, the NFP would wish to propose an urgent national summit. I heard that they will be various dialogues that will be held in various provinces. We cannot sit on our laurels whilst the country is burning and our women and children being murdered every day. There is absolutely a need for an urgent national dialogue that would include all sectors of our society, government, civil society, churches, business, etc.
We would like to see the department raising the profile of women in business, reaching out to senior citizens and child-headed households and getting involved in efforts to generally uplift the girl-child in South Africa. In short, Chairperson, we would like to see the department move away from the silo approach to governance and work with other government departments. We support the Budget Vote. I thank you.
Ms G K TSEKE: Hon House Chairperson, hon Minister on Women in the Presidency, guests in the gallery, hon members of Parliament.
Allow me, hon Chairperson, to send my heartfelt condolences to all the families of women and children who have been murdered, injured and raped in our country. My prayers too to the family of Lethabo Rakgajana from Boswelakgabo section in Marapyane; Lethabo is a 16- year-old girl and a grade 11 learner at Mmametlhake high School; she was last seen on the 30 April 2017. Even today her whereabouts still remains a mystery.
Hon chairperson, it is quiet concerning and upsetting that at this time in this country that women and children are terrorised and brutalised and in most instances by people who always pretend to love them. The ANC condemns these brutal attacks against women and children, and we therefore request our justice system to deal decisively with these offenders. We call on our communities to break their silences. It is also the responsibility of all members to ensure that the rights of women are respected and protected by all, as equal citizens which is in compliance with our Constitution.
Hon members, the responsibility cannot be relegated to women alone but to men too. The struggle of women is a societal struggle and must be embraced by all of us.
Hon members, I want to remind the people out there who continue to kill our young girls, that it is a violation of at human rights when women and girls are turned into slavery of prostitutions; it is a violation of human rights when women are doused with gasoline set on fire and burnt to death because their marriage dowries are deemed too small; it is a violation of human rights when individual women are raped in their own communities and when thousands are subjected to rape as a tactic of price of war; and it is a violation of human rights when young girls are brutalized by the painful and degrading practice of genital mutilation. I repeat, the struggle of women is a societal struggle and must be embraced by all of us across political parties [Applause.] hon Robinson, this is not a matter of politics.
As the portfolio committee, we have taken a very serious resolution that we will arrange a stakeholder engagement on gender based violence with the view of convening in cooperation with other relevant parliamentary committees, a gender based violence summit to address the scourge of violence perpetrated against women and children in the country.
These are just elements that seek to reverse the gains that the ANC has fought for so hard, of building a non-racial, non-sexist, a prosperous and a democratic society. President O R Tambo recognized
that the struggle for national liberation is intrinsically linked to the emancipation of women and advocated that women must take up their roles among the fighting ranks of our movement and its command posts.
Setswana:
Maloko a Palamente a a tlotlegang, bomme ba na le maatla e bile ba na le ditiragalo tse di botlhokwa go tloga ko ga Lowe ka jalo re tshwanetse re ba thuse go ka lwela ditshwanelo tsa bona. Bomme ba tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng; ke digatlhamela masisi, tse di ka bayang tau setsetsi. Mosadi mooka o nya le mariga. E bile motswana o buile a re mosadi fa a inama o a be a ikantse motlokolo. Re tla lwa go fitlhela re tsewa tsia. [Legofi.]
English:
The ANC government have made great strides in the advancement of the emancipation of women, hon Robinson, in fighting patriarchy and gender oppression. We have implemented many successful programmes to advance the economic and social status of women, but we acknowledge, hon members, that much more still need to be done. And in terms of the oversight of the department, we’re also requesting that hon members of the DA and hon Liezel Van Der Merwe in the IFP, must also be part of our oversight because they are always not there but they
can come here and critique the department in their absence in the oversight committees. We want you there, we want you on the ground, we want you to communicate and engage with our communities out there.
We have continuously [Interjection.]
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: I think the hon member is misleading the House because we do attend oversight and if it’s not with women it’s with other line departments such as Social Development and others. So, it will be casting a very bad lie to say members don’t attend oversight [Interjection.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Thank you, hon Van Der Merwe. It’s just unfortunate that you have already spoken and you’d be having an opportunity to rebutter. Proceed Tseke.
Setswana:
Moh G K TSEKE: Nnete ya baba. Ke a leboga.
English:
We have continuously provided good leadership even in Southern African Development Countries, SADC, countries, Africa and the
world. Recently witnessed we have witnessed the election of Mme Thoko Didiza, our House Chairperson, for being elected as the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women’s Chapter in Africa Region. We warmly congratulate you Mme Thoko Didiza.
Hon members, in terms of the legislation, we need to take radical approach in making sure that we re-introduce the Women Empowerment and the Gender Equality Bill, which has lapsed in the 4th Parliamentary term. The Bill will enforce compliance with women representation in both the private and public sectors. The Bill will also compel all political parties – and even those in my left - to implement the 50/50 representation of women and participation in all the party activities and party lists. [Applause.]
Hon members, we have engaged the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, in its strategic plan and their annual performance plan for 2017-18. The CGE as a Chapter 9 institution is and has been our crowning glory when it comes to gender equality and women empowerment in this country. I am happy to inform you, hon members, that CGE has not disappointed us as the portfolio committee. It has against all odds delivered on its mandate.
Let me share with you some of the successes of this institution, an institution with a mammoth task of re-writing the history of women in this Country. In the previous year, CGE has been conducting employment equity hearings focussing on gender transformation in various public and private sector institutions, for example, hearings have been conducted with the University of Pretoria, University of North West, University of Cape Town, Wits; and for 2017-18 CGE will be focussing on University of Stellenbosch, University of Free State and University of Johannesburg.
These gender transformation hearings are of vital importance, considering that according to Commission of Employment Equity report 2015 to 2017 women representation in senior management is only at 33%
The CGE will also be focussing on assessing the implementation of gender policies and practices within the mining sector where women representation in top management is only 15%.
The Commission has also investigated and made recommendations in relation to the unconstitutionality of the UThukela Municipality Maiden’s bursary which was awarded as a result of virginity testing to young girls, and at the moment they are following up on the
implementation of recommendations with that municipality and surely progress report will be given to the committee.
It is continuously making some inroads in our rural wherein they are making use of community radio station to access our communities. In addition they have also partnered with the traditional leaders in making sure that services are brought closer to the communities.
Setswana:
Go na le lenaneo leo le leng gaufi le pelo ya me la go ruta setšhaba ka ditshwanelo tsa bona, le go ruta batho ka melao le melawana eo Palamente ya Aforika Borwa e fetisitseng. Morago ga thuto eo, batho ba fiwa nako ya go kwadisa dingongorego tsa bona mo go bao ba dirang ka melao go ka ba thusa. Ba le bantsi ba fitlhetse thuso go tswa mo khomišeneng eno.
English:
Hon members, CGE does not only conduct legal clinics for women and endeavour to reach women in rural areas but also forms part of our delegation as committee on our oversight visits and not only to note the issues raised by departments but rather respond to issues them affect them, and the committee appreciate that as well.
In terms of gaps in the legislation, they had pronounced their position in relation to various issues affecting women, like the decriminalisation of sex work; one woman one hectare program; the reviewing of the 365 days of action to end violence against women and children; gender disparities within the South African football Association, SAFA; assessing the effectiveness of Gender focal points and many other research documents that they have completed. We are also urging the CGE to continue with their programme of one woman one hectare programme and we’re hoping that it will yield positive results.
At this point I need to mention the former Chairperson of CGE, Mr Mfanozelwe Shozi, who under his leadership, CGE, received a clean audit. His term has ended in December and we are proud that he left the commission in a stable condition. I would also like to mention the Deputy Chairperson of CGE, Mama Mpumlwana, her term ends at the end of May 2017. The ANC want to convey our appreciation to them and wish them well as they embark on their new journeys in their lives.
Hon members, these achievements by CGE are against an inadequate budget, for 2017/18 financial year, it has been allocated
R78,3 million, which is not sufficient at all, but for years, it has
managed to build partnerships and alliances with a variety of stakeholders in order to augment the insufficient budget.
Hon members, I strongly commend CGE for all its hard work and want to encourage them to continue to fight fearlessly for total emancipation of women in this Country and as Portfolio Committee on Women we pledge our unwavering support.
Hon chair, the provision of the sanitary products is about children’s basic right to dignity. President Jacob Zuma has given a directive that indigent girls and women must be given free sanitary products. We want to appreciate the steps taken up by the Department of Women in the Presidency as a lead department, in making sure that as a country we up come with a Sanitary Dignity Policy Framework.
The framework will assist in making sure that there is uniformity in the distribution of sanitary products in all the provinces.
We want to appreciate all the civil society and individual members who have ensured that we give our indigent learners sanitary products.
The portfolio committee and the multiparty women’s caucus also reiterate to the department the importance of the zero rate vet on
all the sanitary products as an issue to pursue as well, as this will enable a broader reach.
Hon Chair, the ANC as governing organisation really appreciates the efforts that have been made by all the civil society and government departments in terms of the distribution of free sanitary towels.
In conclusion, hon Chair, let me quote Mahatma Gandhi when he said
―Be the change you wish to see in the world." Real men don’t rape, they propose. #countmein in making our country a better and safer place to live in.
The ANC support Budget Vote 13.
Ms C N MAJEKE: Hon Chairperson and honourable members, the United Democratic Movement supports Budget Vote 13. Violence against women and girls is rooted in gender-based discrimination, social norms and gender stereotypes that perpetuate such violence. The recent spate of gruesome murder of girls and infants has a devastating effect on girls, women and society in general. It cannot be left unattended to.
As a nation, we must never tolerate crime; the crime against girls, children and infants must be stopped now. We must do everything legally to prevent it from happening and address its root and structural causes. Prevention must entail supporting the implementation of the laws, policies and programmes that place a strong focus on the promotion of gender equality, women empowerment and their enjoyment of human rights. Those in charge of justice need more sensitivity and a better understanding of the rights of women and children. We must also through this Budget make homes and public spaces safer for women and girls, ensuring their economic autonomy and security, increase women's participation and decision making powers.
Hon Chairperson, working together as women, girls, men and boys we must accelerate progress in preventing and ending violence against women and girls. Awareness raising and community mobilisation - including through our traditional forms of communication - the mainstream and social media must constitute part of our strategy. The ―Not in My Name‖ campaign by men must be part of our daily lives. It must be a collective responsibility and an obligation of both men and boys to prevent and end violence against girls and women. Working with faith leaders, traditional leaders and
communities, we must change the social norms and harmful practices, acknowledge and act against gender injustices.
Government must too, ensure that the girl child is protected and make available all the institutional function to give security to the girls. Abuse of girls through child labour is illegal and this department has a responsibility to monitor the labour market and ensure that this is abolished in practice. There must be a concerted drive to ensure that all girls enjoy full and equal access to education with the necessary support, into keep them focused on the development of their future. A girl child must be taught and encouraged to accept that there is no small or insignificant violence, violence is violence and is a crime. Therefore, it must be immediately be reported to the law enforcement agencies at the time of its occurrence. Law enforcement agencies must be trained and taught on how to respond and manage gender-based violence.
Our political parties must be safer zones for women and girls and we must socialise them so that they are best places to root out cruelty meted on women and girls.
As society we must build working families and household that respect human life. In conclusion, criminals who murder our young women must
have no place in our homes, political parties, churches, schools, sports, and arts and cultural associations and in the society in general. No lenient sentences must be given to these perpetrators and justice system has to do more. I thank you. [Time expired.]
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon members, we have acceded to the request for hon Lekota to participate in this debate. There is no electronic communication hence his name may not be appearing in the speakers list. We apologise for that. Hon Lekota, you are afforded four minutes.
Mr M G P LEKOTA: Chairperson and colleagues, the subject that we are dealing with here is a very sensitive one but I have since been sitting observing our gender behaviour. Although we are talking about extremely depressing incidence and so on, I see quite a lot of us making amusement and jokes about it. This issue of the position of women in our society is dealing with the majority of the members in our society. I think women are 51% of the population. These are the people that rock the cradle as the English say. They are the shapers of the young people and cultivate the society hence we can’t talk to this issue lightly.
When I look at this Budget - because all of us are law makers – we are the ones who passed the Budget I noticed that the Budget dedicated to the conditions of this 51% of the population is less than the budget we spent at Nkandla. You know what? You don’t learn if you do not give yourself time to listen. You don’t do that. How is it that all of us as parliamentarians – I am not saying, you, I am saying all of us – how do we expect to deal with the problems that we are talking about when we give such a little amount of Budget towards this purpose?
Look at it this way; of that amount of money that we budget for this purpose, you must see what goes to the crime top most programme. The primary programme is that of championing gender equality and the achievement of women socioeconomic empowerment and rights. How much do we give to it? R16,6 million out of 200. R16,6 million goes there and the rest of the money is for staffing, administration and all of the things that do not impact directly on changing the condition of these people we are talking about. Again, look at it – I understand that the function relating to violence and women was transferred to the Department of Social Development. I do not see anything that says how much of the Budget of the Department of Social Development goes to this programme.
I then want to say this – because time is finished – traditional marriages of the Muslims, Jewish communities and other communities which deals with the largest poorest of the poor, those marriages we have not passed the legislation yet to legalise them. So, the husband pass on, the wife can’t claim the inheritance and the children of those families cannot claim the inheritance. Why have we taken so long to pass legislation to recognise these traditional marriages, the majority of which is being pursued by the people of our country? Cope calls for the increment of this Budget. Thank you. [Applause.]
Ms T STANDER: If reflecting on the number of tragic incidents reported on lately and you find yourself asking, who has failed our women and why? Well, your answer is seated in that very bench today.
In response to my questions in committee, Minister Shabangu could not name one thing, attributed to her department, that meaningfully impacted the lives of women. Instead, she complained of underfunding and blamed her own administration for being bloated, under capacitated, because she had people that she was stuck with and that nothing could be done about it.
More than 60% of the budget is spent on salaries and services while the core mandate to champion the advancement of women’ socioeconomic empowerment and promote gender in the country go underfunded. The Annual Performance Plan targets are repeatedly changed and it is unfortunate that the Department of Women does not prioritise women and has no intelligible plan for women.
The lack of leadership and direction is revealed by the statements made by Minister Shabangu during a recent interview with eNCA’s Checkpoint, and I quote, ―Karabo came across as strong, but she was internally weak; she was weak and hence she became a victim of abuse.‖
Today you have the audacity to deny that you spoke those works. Today, in this very debate she has called my colleague ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Stander?
Ms T STANDER: ... drunk. [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Stander?
Ms T STANDER: Yes sir.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Stander, just hold on a second. Hon Minister, is that a point of order?
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Yes.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Proceed.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: I would like the hon member to withdraw the statement that, I have the audacity. She says I have the audacity. You know, that is a very rough word and it is unparliamentary.
Ms T STANDER: Chairperson, that is a point of debate. [Interjections.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: It is not a point of debate.
Ms D D RAPHUTI: Chairperson?
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Let us first finish with the first order. [Interjections.]
Ms D D RAPHUTI: Chairperson, can this woman refrain from talking about the Karabo family? The family is still hurt and she is politicising this thing! You are so heartless!
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Raphuthi? [Interjections.]
Ms S P KOPANE: Point of order Chair. [Interjections.]
Ms D D RAPHUTI: You are so heartless, I am telling you! [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Raphuthi?
Ms T STANDER: You were there with amaqanda neRama [eggs and Rama]
... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hold on hon Minister. [Interjections.]
Ms S P KOPANE: Point of order Chair. [Interjections.]
Ms D D RAPHUTI: You are so heartless, and this English came by ship
... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Order hon member. [Interjections.]
Ms S P KOPANE: Point of order Chair. [Interjections.]
Ms D D RAPHUTI: ... don’t come here and accuse our Minister. You are heartless, woman! You must sit down.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Raphuthi, please sit down. [Interjections.]
Ms D D RAPHUTI: Very heartless!
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Order! Hon member. Switch off the mic hon Raphuthi. Thank you very much. Hon members ... [Interjections.] Order! Hon Raphuthi.
Hon Minister, I think it is the first time that we encounter what you have complained about. Give us an opportunity to go and consider your point of order and we will come back and respond on it. Thank you very much. Hon Stander, proceed.
Ms S P KOPANE: I’m sorry Chair, before you allow her to proceed.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hold on hon Stander. Is that a point of order?
Ms S P KOPANE: Hon Chair, I know the hon member is very emotional but I think we need to respect each other in this House and we have to stick to the Rules. This is an hon member, it doesn’t matter how you feel about her but you still address her as hon member rather than ―that woman‖.
Ms L A MNGANGA-GCABASHE: On a pint of order Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): I have tried to plead with her. That is why she is quiet now. Thank you very much. Hon members ... [Interjections.]
Ms L A MNGANGA-GCABASHE: On a pint of order Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon members, you can’t do what you are doing because you are really dealing with the decorum of this House. We have pleaded with you on this particular matter. Everybody
has heard your concern and we have pleaded with you for us to be able to proceed. Can we allow the hon Stander to proceed?
Ms L A MNGANGA-GCABASHE: Point of order Chairperson.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Okay, what is your point of order?
Ms L A MNGANGA-GCABASHE: Chairperson, we would like the DA member to start by disciplining her member. While she was seated there she pointed to her as ―that woman‖. She made a comment at the beginning of the session. She must discipline her first before disciplining the ANC. We accept your ruling Chairperson. Thank you.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon members, we are not going to finish if we continue pointing fingers across the floor. I think it will be a point of order against a point of order until we reach the end and that is why we pleaded with you. We have heard the concern about emotions and we are pleading with the House to come down and allow hon Stander to complete her debate. That is what we are requesting. Thank you very much.
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJAKE: Point of order Chairperson.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon member, what is your point of order?
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJAKE: I am just requesting that we not get frivolous point of orders from the DA and when they stand up on a point of order they need to quote the Rule they are standing on.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Thank you very much. Hon members, let me plead that we proceed with the debate. Otherwise we are going to end up frustrating the member on the podium. Can we allow the member to complete her speech? Can you continue hon Stander?
Mr M G P LEKOTA: On a point of order Chair. Please.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Okay.
Mr M G P LEKOTA: I must appeal to you. The speaker used the word audacity which means bravery. I don’t understand ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Lekota? [Interjections.]
Mr M G P LEKOTA: No, I don’t understand ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Lekota? [Interjections.]Order! hon members.
Mr M G P LEKOTA: No, no, no Chair ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Order! Hon members. Hon Lekota? [Interjections.]
Mr M G P LEKOTA: I must make this point. [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Hon Lekota, there is no need to make any point on the word audacity because we have ruled that we will come back on it and make a considered view. Therefore, there is no need for you to proceed on it. Thank you very much. Proceed hon Stander.
Ms T STANDER: ... but during this very debate, the Minister asked my female colleague whether she was drunk and also called opposition members ―Barbie dolls‖. Further to that, I searched here just before I stood up and it was found that she was agreeing with Chief Mahlangu to cut funds to abuse centres because such problems need to be dealt with at home. Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo. [You strike the women, you strike the rock].
Women are not weak, Minister. [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Order!
Ms T STANDER: Women have been failed by the weak ANC cadres in every ministry and sphere of government for 23 years. I cannot mention every statistics that exposes the ANC’s inadequate transformation within its own government departments or the horrific truth. The ANC has done little to protect our women from oppression, abuse, rape, murder and trafficking. These statistics are there for all to see – Google it.
The Minister mentions that her department plans to embark on a programme of dialogues. The outcome that she has requested is a report. How do we not know that the R22 million that is being spent on these dialogues will not be like Minister Bathabile abusing social development funds? Then this will be a platform to be used for campaigning towards 2019. [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Order! Order! hon members. Complete your speech in one minute.
Ms T STANDER: The Department of Education has not been assisted to have a copy of a sexual offenders’ register so that our children can be protected from predator teachers despite asking for assistance to do so. Women deserve to feel safe whether boarding public transport, walking down a street or seating within their own homes. We know violence against women is not new but we know that we don’t have the details or extents of the problem.
Minister, in light of the statements you made in this House today, in light of the empty rhetoric that has been forthcoming year after year, especially of what was broadcast on eNCA, you are a disgrace to your office and the President should recall you immediately.
Luckily the DA does care about women and we do have a plan that women can hope for when we govern in 2019. We want educated women with good schools and a curriculum that gives them the opportunity for a decent future. The Minister of Women has been silent on the Traditional Courts Bill. Any patriarchal practice that fails against the Constitution like ―ukuthwala‖ and female genital mutilation must be prosecuted. A woman’s vagina belongs to her and no man or government can tell her what she can or cannot do with it.
It was mentioned that extra 50 days of school a year, lip service... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L MASHILE): Thank you hon Stander, your time has expired.
Ms T STANDER: Ndiyabulela Sihlalo [Thank you Chairperson] [Time expired.]
Ms P BHENGU: Chairperson, I am wondering how hon Stander ...
IsiZulu:
... ukuthi lengane ayikhulisayo. Ngicela ningilalele.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Order, hon members. Can you afford hon Bhengu to participate in the debate? Just hold on a second. Is that a point of order?
Ms S P KOPANE: House Chair, can you please talk to the Chairperson of Women? I know she might be angry, but really what you did mam,
... really please.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Thank you very much. Can you please proceed, hon Bhengu. Proceed.
Ms P BHENGU: Hon Chairperson, I am wondering how hon Stander ...
IsiZulu:
... ukuthi lengane emnyama ayikhulisayo ukuthi uyifundisa yiphi inlonipho. Yena uma enganayo inhlonipho. [Ihlombe.] Namuhla sihlangene ukukhuluma ngesabelo sezimali soMnyango Wezabesifazane eHhovisi IikaMongameli. Ngaphambi kokuthi ngiqale lenkulumo yami ngizothanda ukuzwakalisa ubuhlungu obukhulu ngalenkinga esibhekene nayo siyisizwe saseMzansi Afrika sokubulawa ngesihluku kwabesifazane nabantwana ngabantu abathandayo nababethembayo. Lokhu nje kukodwa kwenza isizwe sethu kubengathi yisizwe esinobulwane, esingenalo uzwelo nokuthanda abantu besifazane baso. SinguKhongolose sithi abaphumule ngoxolo. Emindenini yabo akwehlanga lungehliyo. Ngithi angibonge nabesilisa abaphume ngobuningi babo bemasha bethi konke lokhu okwenzekayo akungenzeki egameni lethu, ―#Not in Our Name‖ beveza ilaka labo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, bethi: Phansi ngokuhlukunyezwa nokubulawa kwabesifazane nabantwana!
English:
Hon Chairperson, we have not seen the opposition parties such as DA, EFF, IFP, Cope, UDM, Save SA and their friends marching throughout the streets of our country saying ...
IsiZulu:
... phansi ngokuhlukunyezwa nokubulawa kwabantwana nabesifazane! Sibabona kuphela lapho behla benyuka nemigwaqo bebanga imisindo bethi akwehle uMongameli esihlalweni sakhe, yena lo owenze izimpilo zabantu besifazane nabantwana ukuthi zibengcono.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon Bhengu, just hold on a second. Is that a point of order?
Mr S P MHLONGO: Yes, hon Chairperson, just as much as we never saw ANC marching against rapist of Khwezi ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): No, no hon member, please be honest when I ask you whether is a point of order. You must be honest with me.
Ms P BHENGU: We have not seen you in the streets of South Africa marching to say ...
IsiZulu:
... phansi ngokuhlukunyezwa kwabantwana nabesifazane!
Ms M S KHAWULA: Point of order, hon Chair.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyabonga.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Is that a point of order?
IsiZulu:
Nk M S KHAWULA: Yebo, uyabona la kukhona into engiyishilo ukudelela kukhona lapha. Ngale bekukhona uNomarashiya oshiwo osichotho bakaZuma. Lalela ke manje into engifuna iyodwa. Abantu badlwengula kangaka babone uZuma edlwengula uKhwezi. Uyena ofundise abantu.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): No, no, hon MaKhawula then that is not a point of order. Please sit down, Mama. Hold on hon members.
Order! Is that a point of order? You are standing being two of you. There is somebody behind you.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Chairperson, I would really like to appeal for us to please put our political differences aside. This is about women, its about empowerment of women.
Ms P BHENGU: But I am telling you the truth.
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJEKE: Don’t be a lecturer.
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Let’s not do that Chairperson. This debate is degenerating and this is the reason why women issues never takes centre stage in our country. We must unite and we must not blame one another. I never blamed the ANC. Let us not point finger, please.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Thank you very much. Hon members, please can we really cool down and conduct this debate with the dignity it serves. Just a second, Is that a point of order?
Mrs D ROBINSON: Chair, there is a case of misrepresentation. We have plenty of marches. We protest but the lady cannot say so. [Iterjections.] We have done that for the ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): No, no hon member, please. Please take your seat, mam. I thought that the plea that was coming just behind you made sense, but it looks like you are just continuing.
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJAKE: On a point of order, Chairperson, may I reiterate the fact that I actually put forward to say, let us not have frivolous point of order. When a member stands on a point of order, they need to indicate on what rule they are standing. It will be something that will actually help to keep order in the House, but to keep on standing saying things without following the rules ... [Interjections.] and indeed this is a debate for women. If this is a reflection and a face of women in South Africa - it is disappointing.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Order! No, thank you very much. Hon members, can we plead with you, we did not expect this kind of behaviour when you are debating this particular budget vote.
Honestly speaking is that let us give hon Bhengu an opportunity to proceed with the debate. Let’s cool down. Lets hear each other whatever we are saying we have got the opportunity to say. Those that are still on the list to speak, then they would come and respond. Thank you very much. Can you proceed, hon Bhengu.
IsiZulu:
Nk P BHENGU: Ngicela ukuyiphinda futhi Sihlalo. Lamaqembu lawa aphikisayo kubalwa i-DA, EFF, IFP, Cope, UDM, Save SA bamashile
bagcwala izitaladi zaseNingizimu Afrika kodwa abazange bakhulume ngokuhlukunyezwa nokufa kwabantu besifazane eNingizimu Afrika.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon Bhengu, just a second. Mam’uKhawula is that a point of order?
Ms M S KHAWULA: Yes, ...
IsiZulu:
... akakhulume ngento esiyizele lapha. Ahlukane ne-EFF. Okwesibili, uma bangasebexoshe uZuma uzobona, angeke kuphinde kudlwengulwe la eNingizimu Afrika. Nguyena ofike nokudlwengula. Abantu badlwengula kungenxa yakhe.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Mam’u Khawula, take you seat. Take your seat. Hon members, let us stop all these frivolous point of orders. Thank you, proceed Bhengu.
IsiZulu:
Nk P BHENGU: UMongameli uZuma wenze okuningi, namhlanje abenza engathi abakuboni. Yisilima kuphela esingathi asiyiboni imisibenzi yalo hulumeni oholwa nguKhongolose.
English:
As a committee, we have proposed that we need to have an urgent summit to talk about this scourge of violence to women and children. The President created this department to deal with issues of women, and for this department to work with other departments in particular those in the economic cluster ... [Interjections.] ...
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon members, you can’t drown the speaker. [Interjections.] Hon members, please don’t drown the speaker.
Ms M S KHAWULA: Chairperson, point of order ...
IsiZulu:
... kufanele silindele laba bangemuva nabo bakhulume. Laba bangemuva.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): No
IsiZulu
Ms M S KHAWULA: Laba abasemuva nabo abathi: Hambani, hambani. Ngabe banelungelo.
English
You must rule on that please.
IsiZulu:
Hawu, niyaziphoxa. Xhoshani uZuma kuzophela ukudlwengula. [Ubuwelewele.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon Khawula, take your seat. Order, order, hon members!
Ms D P MANANA: Chairperson, point of order.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Order, hon members! No, hon member. Just a second.
Ms D P MANANA: No, Chairperson, on Rule 84.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Order, hon Manana, Just a second.
Ms D P MANANA: I am rising on Rule 84, because hon Nomarashiya ... [Laughter.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon Manana, take your sea. Take your! Hon members, please don’t do what you are doing now, because really you are undermining the decorum of the House.
Ms S M KHAWULA: Chairperson, please can you rule on this issue of Nomarashiya.
IsiZulu:
Awutshele usichotho kaZuma la waseNkandla ukuthi ...
English:
... she must stop what she is saying to me.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Hon Khawula take your seat,
―asseblief.‖
Ms S M KHAWULA: She mustn’t say what she is saying to me.
The CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Take your. Take your seat, hon Khawula. [Interjections.] Hon members, please lower your voices. Our guests in the gallery, you are not actually permitted to participate in the debate that is happening on the floor. Neither clapping hands or ululating or doing anything other than just watching what is
happening on the floor. Therefore we plead with you just simply to observe that. Thank you very much. Hon members, in the House there is no amaRashiya or Nomarashiya [Interjections.] We all know members that are members of the National Assembly. Hon Bhengu, proceed.
Ms P BHENGU: The President created this department to deal with issues of women and for this department to work with other departments, in particular those in the economic cluster to assess and make recommendations for gender sensitive service delivery models for the aims of developing gender responsive planning and budgeting frameworks to guide on its priorities and allocations of resources as mainstreaming the women socioeconomic empowerment; to lead a multidevelopmental task team, to develop a policy framework for the provision of sanitary dignity towels to indigent girls and women.
IsiZulu:
Lo Mnyango uqale uhlelo lokuhambela zonke izifundazwe, wenza loku okubizwa ngama-public community dialogues imema bonke abantu abathintekayo, abezomthetho, amaphoyisa, izinhlaka zikahulumeni lapha, sibala nama ...
English:
... Chapter 9 institutions and other departments
IsiZulu:
... ukuze bazolalela izinkinga abantu besifazane ababhekene nazo ukuze zixazululwe ngokuhlanganyela, nokuziveza ukuthi sewukhona lo Mnyango njengoba wawufunwa ngabantu besifazane.
English:
This department of women received a budget allocation of
R206 million as the Minister has said for the financial year 2017- 18, of this R78,3 million constitutes the transfer payments to the Commission on Gender Equality leaving the department with an operating budget of R127,8 million.
IsiZulu:
Kulonyaka isabelo soMnyango sikhuphuke nje kancane ngo-R800 000 kulo nyaka.
English:
Despite a nominal increase of R9,2 million in the allocation between 2016-17 and 2017-18 there has, in fact, been a real decrease of
R3 million that is when inflation is taken into account that has only 1,53% spent than it did in the previous year.
As other hon members have said the total of R83 million is for Program 1 which is administration, because this is to provide strategic leadership, management and the support service of the department. This program consumes the highest proportion of the department, this remains a concern as the department’s core mandate is carried out in Program 2 and 3 as its Annual Performance Plan, APP, indicates that the strategic goal for this department are the programs that have to promote the strategic leadership, good governance, effective and efficient economical use of public resources for socioeconomic empowerment of women and gender equality.
As the committee on women, we welcome the focus on assessing the implementation of the Nine-Point-Plan from a gendered perspective, these will assist the under development of rural areas as well, amongst others, for urban migration of young men and women in pursuit of employment opportunities as it has adverse effect on rural women, in many cases rural women are exposed to harsh conditions of poverty and hard labour in energy generation and collection of water.
Many rural women are without the security of tenure as trust land is held by traditional leaders, it’s often distributed along gender
lines in favour of males. Therefore, such conditions have chilling effects on women’s efforts to develop themselves and care for their dependents.
It is imperative not only to equalise opportunities and improve infrastructure also to reconfigure rural resources allocation methods to respond to gender inequalities in a manner that seeks not only to eliminate them, but in the main to empower rural women. That is why the President in his state of the nation address said:
In this 23rd of our freedom, our mission remains the quest for a united, democratic, nonsexist, nonracial and prosperous South Africa. Guided by the National Development Plan, we are building a South Africa that must be free from poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Government programs such as Operation Phakisa should create projects to assist women who depend on ocean economy, health and mining sector. More than 61 000 work opportunities were created through environmental programs such as working for water, working for wetlands, working on fire and ecosystems. More than 60% beneficiaries were young people including women. Hon members, this Women Department’s purpose is to lead, co-ordinate and oversee the
transformation agenda on women’s socioeconomic empowerment, rights and equality.
Therefore, this department should work hand and glove with other departments by monitoring and evaluating budgets to accelerate its mission in economic transformation for empowerment and advancement of gender equality by promoting gender mainstreaming in governance programs. As the African National Congress, we want to see the department monitor and evaluate progress on the empowerment of women in line with national laws, regional, continental and international treaties and commitments.
This should include a report on socioeconomic empowerment through government incentive schemes, as well as country reports for multilateral forums. We hope that the department should monitor the outcomes of these engagements and develop implementable recommendations to further women’s empowerment and gender equality through these initiatives.
Hon members and Chairperson, we note with concern that this Program
2 Social Transformation and Economic Empowerment which aims to champion gender equality and the achievement of women socioeconomic empowerment and rights, the core aspects of giving effect on the
departments mandate once again received the smallest operating budget of R16,6 million.
In conclusion hon members, as the African National Congress, we believe that this department has a long way to go, as it should request that each department in the economic cluster to indicate what percentage of its budget is allocated to services and programs for women, and how gender responsive budgeting is currently implemented and to request that each department should report on the questions related to gender focal points. We also need the department to work with all the premiers so as to have working relationship with all the provinces on issues of women. The ANC supports the budget of the Department of Women in the Presidency.
Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY (Ms S Shabangu):
Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the leadership of the Chairperson in navigating this space dealing with these complex issues of South Africa but globally. Women issues are not easy, that is why we continue to advance the interests o women, not only here, in a global space. But I must also say, as South Africa, we are making progress. That is what is important to us. I also want to welcome the opposition, abuti, [brother] indeed this is
supposed to be – that is my big brother, this one – e ke abuti wa ka [this is my brother] The issue you have raised about this particular debate is a debate where we have come a long way.
For us it is not an academic exercise. It is an issue which we fought for many, many years as girl children. We are not starting today because we are in Parliament, we have been part of it, and the pain of the women today who have been brutally murdered is the pain we feel. It is the pain we know, a pain which hurts as women. We have got girl children. We have got sisters and we know the pain. We can tell stories. For us it is not academic, it is not theory, it is practical, it is real. I also want to indicate that the issue of the Traditional Courts Bill, I would expect the committee to play its role. My turn is in Cabinet. Now, this Bill is in Parliament so all constituencies especially the portfolio on women must play a role in making sure that you contribute and shape it. I want to respond to the hon DA even if they are not here. I want to indicate, I do not think we are in the apartheid space where South Africa faced sanctions, where South Africa could not be part of the world. We fought to be part of the world hence we have a responsibility and obligation to international protocols and treaties.
Going to the Commission on the Status of Women, CSW, is not an event and I also want to correct that, as they continue to pep up this thing we are coming back with a report. The same members of the DA must ask their members to give them a report of what transpired, what happens in the United Nations, UN, because it is like they are blaming us and to correct that, we only had seven staff members and here you need to understand the CSW in its proper context. This is not a beauty show where you go there for showcasing. It is about discussing issues affecting women globally. Issues of indigenous women in different areas that is why we are here, to do that, so if they think they are going to get rid of this portfolio, hard luck, this portfolio was created, deliberately so, in making sure that issues of women do not fall behind in our society.
I want to indicate as we talk about the programmes raised in Thuthuzela Care Centres, we are all there, we are not happy, I have indicated that to the committee and I also want to say, hon Stander, what a shame, young as she is, she does not understand because the problem is that she is not on the ground, she does not understand.
Karabo is a child that needs the protection of mothers but if you listen to the mother, you will understand that pain of a parent who lost a girl when she thought there was a future for her child. So I do not want to talk politics, on the pain of African women. The
issue of violence did not start today; it has been there for a very long time that is why, as the ANC, we came up and decided to put up various laws and this is not an event, it is a journey.
It is a very difficult and complex journey. It is a journey about patriarchy. It is a journey about our cultures, many things we need to deal with and confront in making sure that women are free. In townships, she might have a car. In townships, girls walk the streets to study, it is a reality not a dream and it is not a fantasy. If she knows her relatives might be having cars, ours walk the streets. Ours confront this reality every day. Where we are today as she speaks, young girls around Gauteng and in various areas can no longer walk the streets because they are getting kidnapped.
So this is no time for the blame game. We have got to work together, not only as women, as men, including men in changing and making sure that we create a safer society. We create a safer space for our children, not only women, our children. All the vulnerable groups we need to make sure that we protect them. I must also welcome hon Van der Merwe when you say that, let us put context into the sanitary products. We do not want handouts. We must have a policy framework as government in making sure that government reaches out to the indigent kids, reach out to the poor so that they are not dependent on me who has money today and have no money tomorrow. So we are
working on a policy framework in making sure that those kids can benefit through government policies because we also do not want to compare condoms, and a necessity and pads, we do not want that.
Young women must have a right because it is not a choice to menstruate.
No one makes a decision that I want to menstruate, no one, it is biological. So it is important for government therefore to say, how we meet the lives of the young people in making sure that they live a decent life like any other child, Stander’s child might be living the same way because for Stander, sanitary pads are nothing but for that poor rural child they mean a lot. So for the dignity of the girl child, that is what we are trying to do in coming up with this policy. I also want to welcome the portfolio committee when it refers to a summit. We really support it; we are with you on that. [Applause.] This violence is not going to take one activity. It needs us every day. It needs education. It also needs to change the attitudes of men and understand how we socialise with our children.
I want to say, in homes, what kind of socialisation and education do we give to our children? Both girls and boys, not one all of them, if we are able to start at home, as we say charity begins at home, then we will be able to change our society.
IsiZulu:
Mhlobo wami, awuke ukhulume into eyakhayo. [constructive]
English:
Make sure when you talk to us you do not start shifting responsibility. You know, as a Member of Parliament, you have got a responsibility that is why you were elected. People expect you to come and represent them, not come and complain. Make laws, you are a lawmaker you forget.
IsiZulu:
Uyisishayamthetho wena. Kumele wenze isiqinisekiso [sure] ukuthi umela laba bantu, ngangiyilungu lePhalamende nami, sakha imithetho. Uma ngabe kukhona okungahlangani emthethweni ngicela ukufake emthethweni, ungalokhu ukhala njalo njengengane engashayiwanga.
English:
The last point I want to make is that, I will always appear before the committee and I am not going to grandstand. I will say the truth, the difficulties, so I am not complaining. My responsibility is to share the reality and I am not going to hide the reality which confronts this department. I am not going to hide it. I will tell you in the portfolio committee for us to work together and I also
welcome brother when you say, these legislators have a responsibility of making sure that this department has a proper budget. It is not going to help us to complain every day. I can fight my bit but I expect the legislators to fight or make their contributions in making sure that we have a budget which recognises the challenges faced by women in our country. So if we work together we will be able to do that. And lastly, what Stander said today to me is a reflection of somebody who is doing a job and has no commitment towards women.
Liezl, we were both in Diepkloof on Friday, where were they? I was there in Naledi, where were they. That is my home. That is my place. That is where I grew up hence it is my community. It is my own people, my blood so that is why I had to be there. For them it is academic and we will continue ... [Interjections.]
IsiZulu:
Nk M S KHAWULA: Sihlalo, ephuzwini lokukhalima okuphambukayo: Hayi ngeke bafowethu, awuke ulungise.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Is that a point of order?
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY (Ms S Shabangu):
Nk M S KHAWULA: Umuntu okumele abuze lokho yilo olaphaya phambili, hayi.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Mama Khawula, is that a point of order?
Ms M S KHAWULA: Yes.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Okay, qhubeka. [proceed]
Nk M S KHAWULA: Ngiyabonga, hayibo, bengicelile la, lento ka- Nomarussia naba oSchotho bo bakaZuma, awubakhuze.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Mama Khawula, take your seat. We have dealt with that. Take your seat. Let the Minister complete the responses.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY (Ms S Shabangu): The scourge of violence in our society needs every person in our society to work together in changing it. [Interjections]
USIHLALO WENDLU (Mnu B L Mashile): Mama Khawula, asikho emgwaqeni phela la.
English:
We are not in the street hon member. Please let us allow the Minister to conclude.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY (Ms S Shabangu): We need all South Africans. We call on all people in South Africa to work together. The legislature, we want to challenge you men in the legislature that you need to rise and say, not in your name, because what is going on in our country is in your name. We want to see you leading this campaign of changing and making sure that women feel safe, as you know you are there to embrace and make sure that women are safe. We cannot continue running campaigns of women alone, we need men, not in your name, stop keeping silent, break your silence for all of us as South Africans. We need to here first as the legislators or as the leaders of the country in making sure that people can have their confidence back.
Lastly, violence is not new but it takes different shapes. At some point we had the Rasuge case and we have the same thing, that communities rose against that violence and a difference was made. So I call upon all legislators to make this a priority in their programmes and also participate in making sure that in their own communities there is safety. Thank you. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr B L Mashile): Thank you very much. Hon members, let us thank the Minister and all of you and the guests for having stayed through this debate. That concludes the debate and the business of this mini-plenary session. This mini-plenary will now rise.
Debate concluded.
The mini-plenary rose at 18:30.
Audio
No related