The resignation of Mduduzi Manana as the deputy minister of higher education has done little to placate those who have decried the failure of the government and the police to act sooner.
There is also great unhappiness that Manana gets to keep his ANC seat in Parliament, and the message this sends by a "morally ambivalent" government.
His resignation is too little too late, say organisations which called for his axing since the news of an assault of two women surfaced.
The Commission for Gender Equality said the debacle had created an “unfortunate impression that the government was morally ambivalent and indifferent to the gravity of gender-based violence”.
Koketso Moeti, executive director of campaign website Amandla.mobi, yesterday said they had written to President Jacob Zuma last week calling for Manana to be fired, following the assault at a Sandton eatery two weeks ago.
Manana had admitted to it in a public apology.
The letter from Amandla.mobi included a petition signed by nearly 3 000 people.
“While we welcome Manana’s resignation, we are concerned that it allows him to leave with dignity, whereas being dismissed would have sent a strong message that the government does not tolerate such behaviour,” said Moeti.
In a statement on Saturday, Zuma said he had accepted Manana’s resignation.
But media reports yesterday said Manana had been given an ultimatum to quit or be fired.
Commenting on Manana keeping his ANC seat in Parliament, Moeti said: “That is a public office, he has no place in public office.”
She also took issue with Zuma for thanking Manana for his contribution during his term of office.
“That is disappointing and a missed opportunity to condemn Manana and acknowledge their own failure to act timeously, especially when reports of other victims arose.
“This shows a clear pattern of behaviour and I believe his resignation and apology followed only because he got caught in this instance,” said Moeti.
Police had also missed an opportunity to show the victims of gender-based violence how seriously they took the crime when they failed to arrest Manana, she pointed out.
“The series of events which led to his bail hearing seemed to have been handled in a more favourable way… There was no arrest, even though there was a video, and his whereabouts was known.
“It is unacceptable that some perpetrators are treated better than others.
“All of this does not give us confidence that the systems meant to protect victims of gender-based violence are in fact working,” she said.
Manana reportedly handed himself over to police on the day he was due in court, where he was granted R5 000 bail.
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcomed Manana’s removal from HEAids (Higher Education’s Aids, saying Manana had no place leading the organisation.
TAC general secretary Anele Yawa said it should serve as a lesson to other leaders.