Polokwane - The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Thursday called for the arrest of a Limpopo Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) member who allegedly beat up his female relatives over an inheritance dispute involving his grandparents' house in Seshego, Polokwane.
Sanco also demanded his immediate suspension from the provincial legislature.
“An unequivocal message has to be sent that there is no place in our public institutions and in society for perpetrators of gender based violence. This incident involving its senior leader offers the EFF an opportunity to demonstrate that it is not paying lip service to upholding women’s rights,” said Sanco National Spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu.
He said that violence against women has taken on new and more vicious forms because traditional patriarchal structures, which have for centuries denied women ownership of property, have "crossbred" with the structures of capitalist patriarchy.
“We need to unite against the violence of unjust, unsustainable economic systems and the increasing frequency and brutality of violence against women because structures of traditional patriarchy have merged with the emerging structures of capitalist patriarchy to intensify violence against women,” Mahlangu said.
The EFF member, who has been accused of beating up his female relatives, could not be immediately reached for comment.
It was also not clear if the relatives had reported the matter to the police.