A BBC documentary on child rape in South Africa has been given the thumbs up by once sceptical MPs, who now favour its broadcast and appear satisfied it is not a ”seriously skewed” picture of sexual abuse in the country.
The documentary titled ”An Evil So Vile” was viewed on Tuesday by a handful of MPs, many of whom served on Parliament’s special team on child abuse.
The documentary was screened in Cape Town and Johannesburg during the SA Documentary Festival but under a different title ”Dark Heart”.
It focuses on the October 2001 rape of nine-month-old Baby Tshepang which shocked the nation and originally saw six men, including her great-grandfather, falsely accused of the crime.
The real rapist, David Potse (23) was jailed for life in July. Potse’s girlfriend, Lya Booysen, who witnessed the rape and was a state witness, was among those interviewed by the producers.
”If people want reality TV, then we need reality TV that makes a difference,” African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley said on Tuesday.
Although the documentary created the impression that child rape was perpetrated by those who believed sex with a baby cured HIV and Aids, this was not the reality.
”It’s definitely not the reason. It’s never been the issue. Here it was the revenge kind of thing.”
Dudley was referring to the fact that Baby Tshepang’s 16-year-old mother had a relationship with Potse, but had dumped him.
ANC MP Ntshadi Tsheole said she would have preferred the documentary to be viewed by a South African audience and not by a foreign one.
”I wouldn’t like it (child rape) to be portrayed as a general problem in South Africa. Yes, it is a problem, it is a reality, but it might be negative propaganda for our country.”
Tsheole said it would be relevant for South Africans to see the documentary and get the ”real picture”.
”It will be a lesson to most of our South Africans, so that we can be more alert and more protective of our children. Especially our men, they need to see it. I think it can be educative.
Another ANC MP Reverend Motlalepule Chabaku described the documentary as a ”needed shocker”.
”I say to myself what are we going to do after seeing it? What are we individually contributing to make the position better? It is not only South Africans, but all over the world.”
However, she expressed concern that the documentary had been ”coloured by racism”.
”We still deal with human life on a racist basis. No matter how sincere the initiators (producers) could have been — if these were white or Caucasian children — we would not have seen their faces or their mothers’ faces.”
In her reaction, the DA’s Sandy Kalyan said she too was initially sceptical and was concerned about whether it would portray things accurately and about the effect it might have on Baby Tshepang when she grew up.
”I think it was tastefully done. The human rights of all, including the alleged perpetrators, were protected.”
Earlier this year, ANC MPs expressed concern that the documentary had the potential to devalue the rand, and portrayed South Africa as ”the leader in all aspects of bad things”.
Local film producer Cliff Bestall appeared before the task team during its public hearings to talk about his experiences in making the documentary, but found himself under fire from the MPs.
A complaint to the Film and Publications Board resulted in the advice that the local producers of the documentary should be contacted for a copy.
”After all, there is no point in getting all worked up if the documentary does not cast government and the country in an unfavourable light.” – Sapa