Durban - The uThukela District Municipality’s controversial maidens’ bursary scheme, aimed to motivate virgins to keep their virginity until they have completed their studies, may not continue in its current form – if the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has its way.
Speaking at a press conference to name mayors for districts and strategic municipalities in Durban on Tuesday, ANC provincial chairman, Sihle Zikalala, said while the programme to encourage abstinence among young people would continue, it could not preclude people from accessing government opportunities.
“We, in government, must not escalate that (abstinence) to preclude people from accessing opportunities.
“The programme will continue not in a way that precludes others, and therefore, you might not see going forward a bursary scheme dedicated for a particular category, but you will see a programme going all over KZN on abstinence,” Zikalala said.
The bursary scheme was recently found by the Commission for Gender Equality not only to be gender discriminatory, but also to infringe the constitution.
It caused an uproar earlier this year when it was reported that 16 bursaries were awarded to young women who were expected to remain virgins while still recipients of the bursaries.
The outgoing uThukela mayor, Dudu Mazibuko, last week announced that the municipality’s council was to take a decision tomorrow on whether to take the CGE report on review in a high court.
Responding to a question directed to mayor-elect, Siphiwe Mazibuko, on whether the bursary would be continued during his term, Zikalala said the issue of the bursary was to balance the intention and the rights of people.
“It is a right of anyone, irrespective of status, to have access to a bursary, or any opportunity offered by a public institution, that is one thing.
“On the other hand, you have got an initiative to encourage people, especially young girls, to conduct themselves in a disciplined manner.
“So you need to balance the two without excluding those who would say ‘I need a bursary irrespective whether I belong to this category or not,’” he said.
Zikalala said the uThukela District had previously made it clear that it was not excluding people from opportunities.
“That was an intention. Unfortunately the intention escalated to undermine the rights, and therefore is contradicting or is not acceptable to the commission and all of that.”