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| South Africans celebrate Women's Day 2012 - Pretoria. Photo by: demotix.com |
Women's Day is supposed to be for all women in Mzansi
The national women's day is supposed to be the day whereby all women, from all over the country are recognised as people who have had a very significant role in the liberation of South Africa. I was very disturbed to learn that there are women living in SA today without proper houses, no jobs or benefits whatsoever.
Forced into the army at childhood against apartheid - but it was all for nothing!
These are not just ordinary women, they are women who had to leave SA to become soldiers in exile. Some of these women left the country at a very early stage of their lives, some as young as 14 years old. Today these women are living in shacks, they're jobless and are not recognised by the ANC led government as what one would call freedom fighters because they were never members of the ANC.
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| PAC: one of the political parties which played a significant role in the liberation of SA, today very little is said about them. |
This is quite disturbing for me. Why is it that only women who are associated with the ANC get recognition for the fight against the apartheid regime? We constantly see and hear about women such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela, Charlotte Maxege, Adelaide Tambo and others. But what about women who belong to other political parties who also fought for liberation? Don't they deserve to be applauded for their efforts?
Where are women from other political parties who also fought tirelessly for this freedom?
Have we been led to believe that women in the ANC Women's League are the only ones who marched to the Union Buildings to fight for our rights and therefore those who are members of the ANC will not be recognised by the government or have streets, museums and hospitals be named after them.
The reason is that ANC lead the government therefore they are prioritizing their former leaders and prominent members first at the end they also call the shot thus it becomes difficult for other minority political parties to get too much publicity when they honour their former members and leaders
ReplyDeleteTrue that Lucky, but it really disturbs me that there are many unsung heroes in this country, totally unfair for them!
Deletethere are museums that actually acknowledge ordinary women who took part in the march its just unfortunate that the media does look much into them
ReplyDeleteThat is so true Nic. It goes to show how powerful the ANC is,I do not think that it is fair on the other women who also fought for liberation,anyone who does good needs to be recognised and acknowledged for it whether they belong to a certain political party or not.
ReplyDeleteI agree, during the apartheid regime, everybody, and I mean everybody was willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of libration! ANC seems to be 'owning' the liberation!
Deletei think your so right even though they women not from ANC get the recognition the media does not really cover their stories but some have atleast coverage on Soweto TV i feel like ANC is not being fear to other women who also struggled
ReplyDeletetis true bra ANC is painting a wrong picture to the nation because it wa not only women from ANC who went on a march it was all women from all conners of SA and not all of them can be members of ANC
ReplyDeleteThat is very true Nic, ANC is indeed giving the wrong impression to the nation because it was not only women from ANC who went on a march it was all women from the whole SA including the whites and not all of them are ANC members
ReplyDeleteAs you've said that Women's Day is a day that is meant to acknowledge all women equally. I don't understand why certain women will not be recognised for the good things that they have also done for the country. It's unfair.
ReplyDeleteA very good and controversial point you have raised. To tell you the truth I didn't realise until I read your blog and I must say that you have a very good point.
ReplyDeleteit would seem that the only way for freedom fighters associated with political parties outside of the anc to get recognition, would be for them to win the elections. the ANC lives by the rule that those in power decide what happens and who is celebrated.
ReplyDelete@ Nicholas,for the fact that the African National Congress won the first non-racial democratic election,on April 27 1994 means that the ANC will forever be applauded for fights against apartheid.Dont other parties deserve to be applauded for their efforts? no.lets take it that I am workin for the DA, I would automatically hold the interests of the DA at heart and I would not go around applauding the AFP for their efforts. Its exactly the same with the ANC, they are simply holding the interests of the ANC at heart by potraying the ANC Women's League with ANC women representatives.
ReplyDeleteThe ANC doesn't only applaude women in the ANC, those in the ANC are showed simply because they are in the lime light and they can't exactly show every individual on public spheres.
ReplyDeleteWomen who belong to other political parties are also being recognised. Was Helen Joseph a member of the ANC? No, but she still led that march with Lillian Ngoyi and we now have a hospital named after her.
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