Gender Activists have criticised the African National Congress (ANC) for reinstating a member, accused of rape, to the Provincial Executive Committee in Mpumalanga.
The PEC member is alleged to have raped two young girls and is currently out on R20 000 bail.
Gender Activist and the leader of Women Forward, Nana Ngobese-Nxumalo, has raised questions over the ANC’s ethical behaviour as the country observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
“The ANC becomes part of the problem here because the ethical part is what the ANC is supposed to be standing for. The fact that that person has gone back into that powerful position, he is already telling many other culprits like him that it is OK as long as there are technicalities to run away from what you have done. The very same man was accused of the very same act before. He has been accused of having raped someone before. So, these people become smart in running away not only from the law, but they also get into organisations of power where they hide using the organisation like the ANC.”
Nana Ngobese – Gender Activist and leader of Women Forward reacts to the reinstatement of the ANC member:
The Commission for Gender Equality has also reacted to the reinstatement of the PEC member.
Mbuyiselo Botha – Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality shares his thoughts on the issue:
SABC Reporter Tumelo Machogo gives background:
Accused ANC PEC member and stepson granted bail in rape case
The Nelspruit Magistrates’ Court in Mpumalanga granted bail to the ANC member and his stepson
State Prosecutor, Catherine Mnisi, said at the time that the state has a strong case against the suspects. She added that the court should consider that gender-based violence remains a major problem in the country.
Mnisi, who was emotional during her closing arguments, said children are less likely to lie about being raped.
Defence argues otherwise
However, the legal representative of the suspects, Mduduzi Nkosi, says the state does not have a strong case against the suspects. He questioned how the state is going to prove that the victims were penetrated if DNA tests were not conducted. This is after the investigating officer revealed that the DNA samples were not taken from the victims because, by the time they were taken to a doctor, 72 hours had already passed.
Nkosi also claimed that another investigating officer and a social worker attempted to force the biological mother to sign a statement that was already written.
He says the statement said the mother had interacted with the children before signing, which was not true. Nkosi also says there is a possibility that the case is politically-motivated.
Residents are divided over the issue with some saying that this is a smear campaign against the ANC member :
