As the accusations fly that women’s rights are being used to advance political agendas in the ANC leadership contest, it is important to return to basics.
The space that women occupy in the ANC is defined not only by the spirit and letter of the Freedom Charter, which proclaimed “All shall be equal in the eyes of the law.” It is also described in the Constitution of the ANC, the preamble of which states that “the fundamental goal of the ANC remains to construct a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society in South Africa.” These ideals, formed by the cadre of the ANC, were absorbed into the nation’s Constitution in its first founding provision.
These fundamental principles should define all who live in this country, in particular those of us who are ANC members. It was therefore in keeping with our history, and the struggles of women and men to overcome apartheid and oppression, that the ANC’s national policy conference earlier this year decided to recommend to the Polokwane delegates that women should occupy 50% of all structures of the ANC.
To suggest that there is something abnormal about this is to deny our history.
Yet, in a crude reaction to this proposal, certain individuals have attempted to alienate the essence of the debate into a crass form of reductionism, suggesting that women who may be elected are sexual fodder for men in the ANC and that women elected to party positions are in any event from “the elite”.
Apart from their crude sexism, these arguments deny our history and the ANC’s debates held to ensure that equality is not only translated as women being equal among men, but also that women have a right and a responsibility to participate as equals.
Such claims are prejudiced in more ways than one. For example, while both men and women are nominated by ANC branches, only women nominees are being branded “sexual fodder” hailing from the “elite”, while the men remain men, with no tags attached.
The ANC must reject such arguments, which are flawed and deeply offensive. The fact that they are offered up in the emotional heat of a campaign from a leader of the labour movement is no excuse.
The ANC is best able to address the political backwardness expressed in such statements by ensuring we elect a leadership of women and men that is actively able to implement the core principles of our movement. We can also not ignore the reality that the ANC is a broad church and ought to represent all sectors of our society. This in no way undermines the fact that the ANC is largely a working-class organisation that represents the aspirations of Africans in particular.
The latest debates demonstrate that we dare not be complacent. Patriarchy will not disappear overnight. The irrational fears voiced by those using the parity debate as a bludgeon against our movement’s principles come from the mouths of men who only appear to say the right things in the right places — and the principles of their organisations be damned.
Cosatu supports the proposal of 50% parity for women in the ANC, so Comrade Zwelinzima Vavi is clearly out of touch with the policies of his own organisation. His recent remarks have insulted all South Africans by suggesting that women elected into the ANC leadership are going to be asked to provide sexual favours and, by extension, that women will fall on their backs to please men.
Cosatu’s general secretary is not known for mincing his words; if he wanted to name womanisers, why not just do so? Instead he pronounces as a stereotypical male chauvinist, suggesting that the women elected into the ANC national executive committee are a threat. This is unacceptable.
The poorest people in our country and on this continent are women. Many are not members of Cosatu, which organises employed workers. Men dressed in silk suits who represent workers are not necessarily the vanguard of the entire working class 24 hours a day, and there are people in the leadership structures of the ANC who are from the working class and who share its aspirations and those of the unemployed.
Every structure has an “elite”, even Cosatu, where a layer of leaders is re-elected at every level of the union. We should not fall into the trap of name calling.
We do not need leaders with patriarchal values. Rather, we need to elect a balanced leadership that respects time-honoured traditions, such as allowing the branches of the ANC to choose who will lead. The challenge is to ensure that the ANC collective is representative of all strata in our society, which is 53% women.
We need a principled leadership collective that can help us build a nation and eradicate poverty, disease and unemployment. Let the branches choose and let us respect their right to make the choices they wish to make.
It is our responsibility to bring home an ANC leadership equal to the task.
Jessie Duarte is a member of the ANC national executive committee