Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Minister, you know and I know that funding is a huge problem for this council and they cannot do what they ought to do. The people of this country who suffer the most because of gender-based violence do not need another set of highly paid civil servants they need action.
Besides this department, the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, with its mandate to monitor and co-ordinate, we have the Commission for Gender Equality, the Human Rights Commission, the interministerial committee tasked with developing a strategy to deal with violence against women and children, and a gender and sexual-orientation- based violence task team for hate crimes. How does the Minister then justify spending millions, especially with the shortage of funding, on establishing another council, for which funds aren't readily available? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Hon Deputy Speaker, I would have thought that the hon member would at least have said that the scourge of violence against women and children deserves to be prioritised. Innocent women, children and elderly women are dying in our country every day. This department does not have the capacity to be everywhere in the country to monitor this violence, and the hon member knows that very well.
Ingxaki ke ye-DA kukuba abamkhathalelanga umntu ongumama, ingxaki ye-DA kukuba ababakhathalelanga abantu abakhubazekileyo nabantwana. Abantu abakhubazekileyo bayabuza ukuba baphi abantu abakhubazekileyo kula maqela aphikisayo ukuze basukume bona ngokwabo bazithethele kuba babethe abafuni kuthethelwa nini, nina maLungu ePalamente eningenangxaki yokukhubazeka. [Uwele-wele.] Nima apha ngezisu ezikhulu, nibahle nityebile, nibashiye emva nibavalela ezikoneni, abakwazi ukuza apha bazokulwela amalungelo abo ngokwabo. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Ngoko ke masiyeke ukuba ngoombolombini siyi-DA. KwiKhabhinethi yaseNtshona Koloni, akukho nenye inkosikazi apho enokuma ilwele amalungelo amakhosikazi nabantwana. Inye kuphela inkosikazi ekhoyo apho ngu-Iron lady. [Kwahlekwa.] Sisebenzile ke thina. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The DA's problem is that they do not care about women, the disabled and children. The disabled want to know where the disabled members of the opposition parties are, so that they can speak for themselves, because they have said they do not want you Members of Parliament who do not have the problem of disablement to speak on their behalf. [Interjections.] You come and stand here, with big bellies, looking good and well-fed, leaving them locked up in some corners out there, unable to come here and themselves fight for their rights. [Applause.]
So, let us stop being hypocrites, as the DA are. In the Western Cape cabinet there is not a single woman that can stand up and fight for women's and children's rights. There is only one woman there and that is the Iron Lady. [Laughter.] We, however, have done our work. [Applause.]]
We were part of the men's march and the council on 24 August 2013.
Sisebenza nootata ... [We work with men ...]
... who are saying: Enough is enough - not in our name.
Sidibene thina neSafa kuba sithe ... [We met with Safa because ...]
... one of our targets is the youth, because it is the youth that are being abused. It is the youth that are the victims of Satanism, rape and drugs.
Sidibene noSafa saya kumdlalo weFifa weBafana Bafana idlala neBotswana apho sasungula khona iVimbela Mzansi campaign. Apho eThekwini, ebaleni lezemidlalo iKings Park, kugcwele ngabantu abatsha, sathetha ngobundlobongela nokuxhatshazwa kwamakhosikazi. Kusekwalapho noKhune wathetha nabantu abatsha. [Laphela ixesha.] [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We met with Safa during the Fifa-sanctioned Bafana Bafana game against Botswana, where we launched the Vimbela Mzansi campaign. In Durban, at the Kings Park stadium, which was full of young people, we spoke about violence and the abuse of women. There Khune spoke to the young people. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]
Sekela Somlomo, ngicela ukubuza kuNgqongqoshe ukuthi niye nahlangana yini namakhosi ukuxoxa ngalolu daba olukhulu kangaka lokuhlukumezeka kwabantu besifazane nabantwana? Kukhona nokuhlukumezeka kwezinkonkoni. Njengomnyango senihlangene yini nabo na ukuze mhlawumbe kubonakale ukuthi kungancishiswa kanjani konke lokhu, kanye nokuthi bangasizakala kanjani? Sewuhlangene yini nabezenkolo ukuze basebenzisane nathi ukulwa nalolu daba olungaka oluhlasele abantu besifazane kanye nezingane? Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZABESIFAZANE, ABANTWANA NABAPHILA NOKUKHUBAZEKA: Yebo. Empeleni sihlangene namakhosi, ngomhla we-11 kuNhlangulana sihlangane nobuholi bukaZwelonke beNdlu yabaHoli bezeNdabuko. Babekhona nabase-Free State, kwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West, Eastern Cape, bonke bezobambisana nathi ukulwa nalolu daba; unobhala jikelele we-Contralesa naye wayekhona.
Amakhosi nawo athe aphatheke kabi futhi ahlukumezekile ngento eyenzeka ezindaweni zabo, ikakhulukazi ukuhlukunyezwa kwabantwana nogogo.
Amakhosi aphinde athi azobambisana nathi futhi anomkhankaso wawo obizwa ngokuthi oNdabezitha. Lowo mkhankaso iwona abafuna ukuthi uthathe lo mkhankaso wokulwa nokuhlukunyezwa kanye nokubulawa kwezingane nabesifazane. Baphinde bathi kumele futhi sibambisene nombutho wondlunkulu okunguwona olwa nokushaywa nokuhlukunyezwa kwabomame nezingane. Bathi bafuna ukuthi sibambisane nekomidi labo lezobulili elikhona la ePhalamende, bese sisebenza nalo ukuya phambili ukuqalisa ukusebenza kohlelo lwe-365 Days for No Violence Against Women and Children.
Siphinde futhi sahlangana nobuholi bukaZwelonke boMkhandlu wezeNkolo ebandakanya ama-Muslims, ama-Hindu, amaKrestu nabezenkolo zesiNtu kanye noMkhandlu waseNingizimu Afrika wamaBandla lapho sihlangene khona nabo ngomhla we-11 kuNhlangulana, sethula umkhankaso, sibambisene noMnyango wezemFundo eyisiSekelo. Abafundisi bathi bafuna ukusebenza nezingane, bafuna ukushumayela umthetho wezibopho zokuzimisela, ngoba bafuna ukuthi abantwana bazi ukuthi ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M D NXUMALO: Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if they have ever discussed this important issue of violence against women and children with traditional leaders. Violence against lesbians should also be addressed. Have you as the department met with them to discuss measures to alleviate this and help secure the safety and security of the affected groups? Have you involved religious groups, to help with the fight against violence against women and children? Thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Yes, we have indeed met with traditional leaders. On 11 June we met with the leadership of the National House of Traditional Leaders. There were representatives from the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the North West and the Eastern Cape, and they all came to hold discussions with us to help fight the issue. The secretary general of Contralesa was also in attendance.
Traditional leaders also voiced their sentiments on the violence occurring in their areas, especially violence against children and older women.
Traditional leaders promised to co-operate with us and they have their own campaign called oNdabezitha. They want to use the campaign to fight violence against women and children. They also requested us to work together with an organisation of the wives of traditional leaders, which also fights against violence against women and children. We were requested to co-operate with the committee dealing with gender issues here in Parliament in order to establish the programme of 365 Days for No Violence Against Women and Children. We also met with the national leadership of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa, which includes Muslims, Hindus, Christians, traditional religions and the South African Council of Churches. It was on 11 June when we met and introduced the campaign, together with the Department of Basic Education. Ministers of religion said they wanted to work with children; they wanted to preach the gospel of responsibility because they wanted children to understand that ...]
... if you have the right to education, you also have the responsibility to go to school - you have the responsibility to learn and study and pass at the end of the day. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you very much, hon Deputy Speaker. Hon Minister, as you know, it would have been Anene Booysen's 18th birthday today, and while the rape of Anene Booysen and the rape and murder of the Diepsloot toddlers have made the headlines, they were not isolated incidents.
Hon Minister, the alarming increase in child homicide in South Africa must be declared a national crisis. Therefore, would you consider lobbying your colleagues, especially those in the Peace and Security cluster, to treat this scourge as a national crisis and to demonstrate leadership and table a new clear plan of action to fight crime against women, children and especially the elderly, because without a national plan of action, we are ill-equipped to stop this evil.
I know that you will tell me that the National Council against Gender-Based Violence has been established for this role, but the fact of the matter is this. Is it not a futile exercise to continually pin our hopes on a national council that has no funding to do its job? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Hon Deputy Speaker ...
... ndicinga ukuba lo msebenzi sele usenziwa ngamasebe. Sidibene kwibhunga lesizwe nawo onke la masebe kwaye siyawenza lo msebenzi nokuba asinayo imali. Sisebenzisa le mithombo sinayo kwaye sisebenza kunye nale mibutho yasekuhlaleni ndiza kuyibalula, abefundisi, [the men's sector] imibutho yamadoda azibandakanya ekulweni ukudlwengulwa nokubulawa koomama nabantwana, iinkosi, nee LGBT community, nesele sibambe iphulo nabo phaya eKhayelitsha naseThokoza.
Sivuya kakhulu namhlanje xa isigebenga esadlwengula sabulala uDudu Zozo singaphaya kwezitshixo, esithembayo ukuba siza kunikwa udilikajele. Kwakhona, sivuya kakhulu xa nalowo wayebulele u-Anene Booysen efunyenwe enetyala lokudlwengula nelokubulala. Sithi naye makadilikelwe yijele.
Thina into esiyijongileyo kukubona la maqela aphikisayo ekhokela... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[... I think this function is already being done by the departments. We met with all the departments in the national council and we are performing this duty even if we don't have the money. We use the resources at our disposal and we work closely with the following civic organisations: religious leaders [the men's sector], men's organisations involved in the fight against the rape and murder of women and children, chiefs, and the LGBT community with whom we held a joint campaign in Khayelitsha and Thokoza.
We are very happy today that the murderer that raped and killed Dudu Zozo is behind bars and we hope he is going to get a life sentence. We are also very happy that the person who killed Anene Booysen has been found guilty of her rape and murder. We say he too must get a life sentence.
We want to see the opposition parties lead this fight ...]
... because this is not about an election campaign.
Ndikhe ndabona abaxhasi bombutho i-Agang benxibe izikipa [T-shirts] zika- Anelisa Mkhondo noZandile Mali. Ndazibuza ukuba ingaba kanti intlungu yokufelwa ngabantwana yinto yokugaya iivoti kusini na? (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.) [I once saw Agang supporters wearing T-shirts with the faces of Anelisa Mkondo and Zandile Mali. I wondered how the pain of losing children could be a vote-catching issue.]
I think this is a very serious matter and a tragedy that is facing our country, while this is ...
... ukwenza ukufa kwabantwana indlela engenasidima nemasikizi yokugaya [a cheap political game] iivoti. Ndicinga ukuba sonke silapha nokuba singu- IFP, DA noba siyi-Cope, masiphakameni ... [... making the death of children a cheap, vote-catching political game. I think all of us here, regardless of whether one is a member of the IFP, DA or Cope, should stand up ...]
... and save our children.
Ngoko ke ayingomthwalo karhulumente yedwa, ngumthwalo noxanduva lwethu sonke singamaKrestu, amaMuslims, abantu baseMzantsi Afrika, amaLungu ePalamente neenkokheli zawo onke la maqela ukuba simanyane silwe esi sihelegu sehlela abantwana nabantu abangoomama eMzantsi Afrika. Ndiyabulela, Somlomo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[It is not a burden for government alone; it is the burden and responsibility of all of us as Christians, Muslims, the people of South Africa, Members of Parliament and the leaders of all political parties to unite and fight the scourge afflicting children and women in South Africa. I thank you, Speaker. [Applause.]]
Thank you very much, hon Minister. The time allocated for questions has expired. Outstanding replies received will be printed in Hansard.
See also QUESTIONS AND REPLIES.