Pretoria - The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has voiced concern that having matters such as rape discussed at kgotla (traditional public meetings) might lead to men simply being slapped with a goat as a fine for heinous crimes against women.
Holding the final rounds of its national policy conference, the league has decided to tackle loopholes in the national development plan and the much-debated Traditional Courts Bill.
ANCWL chairwoman Angie Motshekga and head of communication, Edna Molewa, said they were not opposed to the Traditional Courts Bill but felt that certain crimes had to stay within the walls of the Constitutional Court to ensure fairness and gender equality.
Motshekga said they had noted that the rights of women - in the context of traditional laws - were often disregarded and it was necessary that this be dealt with.
“It still happens to this day that if a woman is staying with a man, but not married to him when he passes away the family would then come and claim ownership of the property.
“Even with access to land, women are undermined and are not entitled to anything. It’s rare that a chief would grant access to land to a woman. That right is reserved for men,” she said.
Motshekga also noted that through their meetings it was highlighted that the NDP was gender blind and could therefore have no significant impact on women’s socio-economic emancipation as it stood.
“We know that women have traditionally been, and remain, marginalised within South Africa’s formal economy and over-represented in the informal economy.
“While the NDP acknowledges that access to basic necessities remains a challenge, it does not mention that women are most affected by this,” she said.
Among other issues discussed was the need to have a Women’s Development Agency similar to the Youth Development Agency.
Molewa and Motshekga shied away from revealing the names of possible candidates to run for the position of chairwoman before their next elective conference.
Pretoria News