Lindiwe Sisulu is a victim of gender-based-political-violence that has relegated women to mere numbers

By: *Lesego Mahlangu

South Africa’s political landscape is characterized by the inclusion of contrasting right-centre-left ideological views and political personalities.

The democratic dispensation has largely postures a tolerance of all political views – through debates and a media fraternity that enjoys media freedom to entertain the freedom of speech and expression regardless of who it may criticise or oppose. Nonetheless, a study by ‘Quote This Women’ (a South African NGO) has revealed that in South Africa, less than 20% of sources quoted in the news and public engagements are women.

The media and public engagement can loosely be understood as news commentary, public opinion publications, public debate and general news coverage. This irony of these findings is that despite the domination of women (in numbers) across most sectors, particularly in politics, women are hardly at the crux of leading the narratives shaping spaces and leading the influence. Are women simply not interested in engagements?

And if they are, who is listening and engaging with the tolerance well reserved across all political spectrums.
When Minister Lindiwe Sisulu wrote an opinion article titled -“Hi Mzanzi, have you seen justice? The Minister delves into a popular debate regarding the inclusivity of the constitution of South Africa. The minister ponders on the accessibility of the constitution by the ordinary South African and its capability to advance aspirations of radical economic transformation as a policy adoption of the African National Congress.

The minister barely makes new observations and criticism to the judiciary, much like the likes of former President Jacob Zuma, Julius Malema, Trevor Manuel, and many politicians who are well within their rights and territory to advance political discourse, she acts as a politician and typically mirrors the character of South African politics.

The substantiating opinion article by the minister was not met with the usual debate sophistication that comes with tolerant responsive dialogue and discourse often afforded to men and facilitated across media platforms and practitioners.

The Minister was rather met with labels, dismissive criticism to her character, accusations of being a power monger, and plagiarism.

Influential media figures such as Redi Tlhabi, unusually did not give the views of the minister any airtime and dismissed her with a referral to psychological evaluation for whatever reasons observed by Tlhabi towards a woman with an opinion. Other media practitioners dismissed her on basis that due to obligations to her office as well as social standing – she has no right to make criticism and observation towards an inclusive society.

Despite having given airtime time and time again to many other politicians who equally sensationalize the plight of black people for the advancement of their political capital, it’s hypocrisy to call out Susulu without calling out all politician.

The tolerance of fellow politicians and statemen was hardly reserved for Lindiwe Sisulu. Unusually, there was a media briefing by the Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and criticism withIn the ANC for her ambition to lead.

Among the criticism, it is disappointing that that Minister was hardly criticized on the merits of the matter that she put forward. Zondo hardly considered that the opinion of Minister Sisulu is validated by work she has committed herself to from the dawn of this democracy.

To simply leave her observation as “attacks” on the Constitution, is a disregard to the concerns raised not only by Sisulu but ordinarily South Africans who have felt alienated by the judiciary as an organ of the state. Zondo neglects the illustration of the “house negro” analogy to portray the alliance of the so-called “black middle-class” and professionals to systematic and institutionalized racism that often gaslights ordinary black South Africans who have, indeed, hardly seen justice. He relegated the observation to “insult” rather than an opportunity to advance a discussion of the role of judges and legal practitioners towards a transformation agenda.

The less said about ANC “veteran” Mavuso Misimang the better. The man has hardly enabled a policy discourse within the ANC rather than constantly being found in character assassination of anyone who opposes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s agenda in the ANC. It is, however, in true character for the ANC to be dismissive of strong women among its ranks. Lindiwe Sisulu is a typical victim of Gender-based-political-violence that has relegated the participation of women to mere numbers, quotas and policy fronts.

The observation by Minister Sisulu, suggesting that the constitution has played a role in advancing the persistence of white- monopoly capital should be qualified by persistence of patriarchy within political spaces, explicit in the sexist attitude reserved for women due to white-supremacist-patriarchy co-opting black for the perseverance of capitalism

*Lesego Mahlangu is head of research at civil rights movement #NOTINMYNAME