DURBAN - THE ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in KwaZulu-Natal is calling for a special summit on gender-based violence (GBV) to be held in Estcourt after a string of women were allegedly abused there.
The league was reacting to an incident where, a man believed to be an IFP councillor, allegedly assaulted a woman, an ANC councillor, during a council meeting at Wembezi Hall in Estcourt this week.
The council, under Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality, was in debate when a heated argument between an ANC councillor and her IFP counterpart ensued.
In a statement issued by the regional ANCWL’s secretary Thabisile Njoko on Thursday, it expressed its concern and called on the speaker to act against the patriarchal incident.
ANC councillor Samkelisiwe Khumalo, who was allegedly assaulted, told Daily News that she felt humiliated when she was slapped several times by another councillor in full view of her colleagues.
She said she did nothing to deserve the attack and she was not involved in the fight.
“ANC councillor Sanele Mbongwa behind me was talking while the IFP councillor in front of me was making noise. The ANC councillor asked the IFP councillor to stop what he was doing and the scuffle broke out between them. The IFP councillor stood up and went in the direction of Mbongwa but while leaving his desk, he pushed mine down and my laptop fell on the floor. I asked him why he did that? He came back and slapped me in the face several times,” alleged Khumalo.
ANCWL provincial spokesperson Mbali Frazer, who is also from Estcourt, said her organisation was very concerned about the string of women abuse incidents under the municipality.
She said this was the third incident in three months.
Frazer, who is also a legislature member, said the league was calling for a special summit on the GBV to deal with the patriarch in Estcourt.
“In March, the league rescued a widow who was summoned and banished by the local Induna for not wearing black clothing to mourn the death of her husband.
“The widow informed the Induna that it was the wish of her husband not to wear black,” said Frazer.
In another incident, Frazer explained that she intervened when local men were letting their cattle graze in her yard without her approval.
“We have a problem in our area and it must be addressed.
“In this day and age, you still have men who openly say they cannot listen to a woman because her place is in the kitchen,” said Frazer.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said a case of assault was being investigated by Wembezi police.
Daily News