Ilanit Chernick
JOHANNESBURG: The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has described the six-year prison sentence handed down to former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius yesterday as “an insult”.
Speaking to Cape Times sister paper The Star yesterday, Gauteng ANCWL spokesperson Jacqui Mofokeng said the league was extremely disappointed by the outcome.
“We’re not happy at all. It’s an insult to women, to the Steenkamp family and to all South Africans. We’ve seen a lot of cases over the years: in 2014, Zanele Khumalo’s killer was sentenced to 20 years, (rap star) Flabba Habedi’s murderer was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
“But what is going on in this one? Is this the price of an innocent woman’s life, six years in jail?” she said.
Mofokeng added that the case was a lesson to all. “What remains is the fact that civil society and the media need to work together and look at South Africa’s policy and laws.”
She said the league would be taking the judgment to the ANC’s legal department for discussion.
“We need to look at how the judge said that public opinion doesn’t matter here, and compare it to the international system where there are juries made up of the public who decide on these matters.”
Mofokeng said ordinary South Africans should be involved and be able to participate in such practices.
“We are calling on civil society to expose such cases and measure them.
“Our message is that we must learn from this case; rally and unite at all times if we are to look at the policies so the best practices can be implemented.”