Cape Town - Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has called for justice for a councillor in the Eastern Cape who was dragged from the Amathole District Municipality’s offices by security officials.
She said on Wednesday she was against gender-based violence in the workplace.
This comes after footage was posted on social media showing councillor Nanziwe Rulashe being taken out of the Amathole Municipality offices by armed security guards this week.
“It is disheartening to have had to watch the clip of a woman simply doing her job being dragged like that in a public office. Details leading up to this incident remain unclear, however, there is no situation or justification for a human being, more particularly a woman to be handled like that,” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
The minister said an incident such as this destroyed the work that government and civil society were doing to fight gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.
“We are still fighting the scourge of GBVF in our country and to witness such abhorrent acts, particularly in a government building, is unbelievable. On the 29th of November 2021, South Africa signed on to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 (C190) which deals with violence and harassment in the world of work.
“The violent acts displayed in the video go against the very work that the government is doing in ending all types of violence against women both in and outside the workplace,” Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She has called on the SAPS to launch an investigation into the attack and bring those responsible to book.
“Councillor Rulashe must have justice served, and those responsible must be removed from their positions through the correct procedures,” said Nkoana-Mashabane.
Five people were arrested on assault charges and appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court. They were released on bail on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma also condemned the incident.
“The images coming out of the video we have seen of the incident are a cause for serious concern. That this incident took place in the offices of government puts serious doubt in society about our commitment to end the scourge of gender-based violence,” said Dlamini Zuma.
kamaogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
Political Bureau