ANCWL : a cosmetic face of patriarchy

Marching downtown Pretoria in 1956, 20 000 women from all walks of life armed with their pass-books, chanted Wathinda Abafazi, wathind' imbokodo, uzakufa wena Strijdom (You strike a woman, you strike a rock-you will die Strijdom).

Those were domestic workers, farm labourers and factory workers who converged under the auspices of Federation of South African Women in a protest march to Union Buildings to present a petition to Prime Minister JG Strijdom.

Conspicuous by their presence were African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) members like Albertina Sisulu, Amina Cachalia, Bertha Gxowa and Caroline Motsoaledi.

Back then, women from within ANC ranks had one another's back and would stand in solidarity with others  across the country whenever any form of injustice was dispensed to the voiceless and vulnerable women.

They were united by common tribulations of marginalisation, victimisation and empoverishment that defined the course of women in the 1950s leading up to 1990s. That platoon of gallant women was metaphorically called imbokodos(grinding rocks) for their unrelenting resolve in the face of terror and patriarchy.

Sadly the same cannot be said about the current crop of ANCWL members. They have mastered the art of selective solidarity in matters that involve injustice against women. The post-democratic ANCWL members are patriarchs masquerading  in a black skirt with a green blouse. A case in point was when former Deputy President Jacob Zuma was facing rape charges against Fezeka "Khwezi" Khuzwayo.

A league that purports to champion women's interests, shunned the victim and stood in solidarity with a male perpetrator. Khwezi who grew up within ANC structures, was vilified by the same platoon of women that was supposed to offer a shoulder to cry on. Instead of a comforting mother's touch, Khwezi was pejoratively tormented by death threats. The modern-day mbokodos chose a patriarch over one of their own. Poor Khwezi was tossed and shoved around while a patriarch giggled "hee..he..he."

When Minister of Performance and Evaluation in the office of the President, Jeff Radebe admitted to soliciting nude pictures from junior female staff member at Union Buidings, ANCWL opted for silence in the midst of public consternation. They never even bothered to find out how the staff member's state of mind was. The patriarch was cocooned against public outcry and that was all that mattered.

ANC women cheered on when patriarchy vilified the only female Public Protector South Africa had ever seen. Thuli Madonsela was affronted and her life threatened while ANCWL opted for silence in the face of vilification against a woman. The same league that should have provided refuge for Public Protector, gave her a cold shoulder instead.

In the recent ANC National Policy Conference, ANCWL beefed up their delegation with six men because men are very analytical while women are too emotional as ANCWL President Bathabile Dlamini alluded. This is all the more proof that ANCWL is a breeding ground for patriarchy. Consistent with their patriarchal posture - women's league supports Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for ANC Presidency. This is the same woman who was married to current ANC and South African President who happens to be the worst patriarch who commands Union Buildings.

They advisedly ostracised Baleka Mbete who is the highest ranking female member at Luthuli House as ANC National Chairperson. Mbete is the same woman who acted as Acting President when former President Thabo Mbeki was unceremoniously re-called from office in 2008. She holds a record of having served as Speaker of Parliament under Mbeki and Zuma respectively.

Like true patriarchs in a black skirt with a green blouse, ANCWL vouched for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who commands close proximity to patriarchy (Jacob Zuma).

In a bizzare turn of events, ANCWL came out guns blazing in solidarity with Higher- Education Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana who was caught on camera assaulting women at a night-club. Contrary to class of 1956 that marched to Union Buildings in exasperation, Dlamini and her acolytes never called for Manana's expulsion form public office.

The pseudo mbokodos blamed the female victims for provoking the "Honourable Member" and said Manana didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I am therefore justified to assert that ANCWL is impervious to harrowing cries of rape victims. They are never turbo-charged to stand by victims of gender-based violence.

ANCWL is an elite stokvel of women who get handsomely rewarded for keeping women's cries on silent-mode.Theirs is to give a cosmetic face to patriarchy while women and young girls are scarred for life. It's therefore my conclusion that Bathabile Dlamini is not a feminist - she is a microcosm of everything that doesn't make sense at Luthuli House, a cosmetic proxy of patriarchy in a black skirt.