August 03, 2007, 12:45
President Thabo Mbeki should be commended for promoting the appointment of women to senior posts in his government, Sandra Botha, the Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader, said today. "As we look forward to celebrating Women's Day next Thursday, it is heartening to track the progress we have made in advancing gender rights in the last few years," she said in her party's weekly online newsletter.
A total of 42% of South Africa's Cabinet posts were held by women, practically double that of countries such as the United States 26%, Canada 24% and Japan 14%. "I want to commend Mbeki for advancing the role and profile of women. He has made a point of promoting women to Cabinet and the highest executive and legislative levels, and is on record as saying he would like to see the next head of state being a woman," Botha said.
Among them, several were doing excellent jobs. "Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, our deputy president, has advanced a commendably realistic and honest approach to economic growth as well as health, issues that have a direct bearing on women. Likewise Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, the deputy minister of health, has had the guts to stand up to Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, her eccentric and erratic boss, on key issues," she said.
Disappointing leaders
Unfortunately, there were others letting the side down. "The two government departments most glaringly failing in their mandates both have women as their political heads, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the home affairs minister, and Tshabalala-Msimang. "Ordinary women and men have nothing to celebrate from their positions," said Botha.
Botha warned that in other areas of national life, women were "falling dangerously behind". They faced much higher rates of unemployment, earned lower incomes and had less access to capital or loans than men. "In 2003, 55% of black women were out of work, with the rate rising to 75% for those under the age of 30.”Meanwhile, 64% of employed black women earn less that R1000 a month, with only 5% employed in senior positions," she said.
But it was in the area of health that the state "most glaringly" let women down. "In 2006, the health department found almost a third of pregnant women and one in 10 teenage girls to be HIV-positive. Their chances of contracting full-blown Aids, we know, are greatly increased by poverty.
Zille takes a break
"What is needed to address these insistent problems is not only the development of a sense of personal responsibility, but that the best people be placed in key positions. It is only by appointing those with the appropriate skills and experience that we can overcome the hurdles that continue to hold women back in South Africa," Botha said. Helen Zille, the DA leader, who usually writes the party's weekly newsletter, leaves today for a 10-day family reunion in Italy. Joe Seremane, the DA deputy president, will be acting DA leader in her absence, Zille's spokesperson, said yesterday.
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