The African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League is seeing red after the party’s national chairperson and Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe issued a half-apology over remarks that offended the ANC structure.
Mantashe has been under fire for comments he made last week while on a November 4 election campaign trail in the North West.
Asked a question by a Newzroom Afrika journalist Zola Sholwana about sex-for-jobs pandemic at municipalities, Mantashe – using explicit language, reacted by saying that behaviour had nothing to do with the ANC, and that people asking for sex must account on their own for their conduct.
The Women’s League took offence as it deemed his comments as diminishing the scourge which many women have fallen victim to.
Consequently, the League condemned Mantashe and asked him to apologise for his comments and withdraw.
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In an interview with the SABC on the sidelines of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in Cape Town on Wednesday, Mantashe issued a half-apology.
During the interview, the ANC chairperson said he did not know what he was apologising for as his comments were not wrong, only they rubbed people the wrong way owing to their misunderstanding of the isiXhosa language.
Mantashe insisted that isiXhosa language experts were in agreement with him that there was nothing wrong he said.
Mantashe’s half-apology angers ANCWL again
The Women’s League lambasted Mantashe for being tone deaf and failing to read the room by making the condemnation of his comments a difference over linguistics.
“Cde Mantashe as the representative of the ANC in government and Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has a responsibility to uphold the values and the principles of the organisation and the code of conduct from government at all times,” said Women’s League secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba on Thursday morning.
“Our upbringing teaches us to avoid obscene language and to respect everyone with the language we use. Cde Mantashe should not be allowed to vulgarise our language.”
“Instead of acknowledging the need to apologise, he responded with theatrics, feigning ignorance of the reasons for doing so. This further reinforces his primitive and unrefined allusions to women. This uncouth behaviour is unbecoming, perpetuates patriarchy and deserves the strongest condemnation.”
Women’s League says sex-for-jobs pandemic is serious
The ANCWL is adamant that Mantashe must apologise to all women but most importantly to Sholwana as the woman who asked the question that he trivialised.
Nqaba took time to school Mantashe on the posture that the Women’s League has taken over his comments.
“The practice of demanding sex in exchange for employment is a reprehensible abuse of authority and it exploits vulnerable individuals, infringes on their dignity, and is a serious violation of labour laws which uphold equal access to employment opportunities for all,” said Nqaba.
“As such, we have high levels of teenage pregnancy and statutory rape. Women are subjected to sex slavery not of their choice but due to material and living conditions which at times leaves them with limited options but to battle for their survival to support their families.
Nqaba said the demand for sexual favours in exchange for employment is an abuse of power that is unacceptable and that must be condemned everywhere.
“Such conduct undermines women’s dignity and equal rights, and, is especially concerning amid the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence and femicide,” added Nqaba.
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- ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe made explicit comments denying a sex-for-jobs pandemic in municipalities and shifted blame to those demanding sex.
- The ANC Women's League condemned Mantashe's remarks as offensive, diminishing the issue, and demanded a full apology and withdrawal.
- Mantashe issued a half-apology, claiming misunderstanding due to isiXhosa language, and said his comments were not wrong.
- The Women's League criticized Mantashe for being tone deaf and perpetuating patriarchy through vulgar language unbecoming of his office.
- ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba emphasized that sex-for-jobs is a serious abuse of power, violates labor laws, and contributes to teenage pregnancy, statutory rape, GBV, and femicide.
