With icons like the Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela and the African continent’s first peaceful transition to democracy, South Africa is generally perceived as an advanced country. Most people view South Africa as a beacon of hope in a continent plagued with violence, abject poverty, corruption and any number of additional negative descriptors.
Such is the reverence for South Africa’s peaceful transition and its architect that Mandela, apart from being awarded numerous honors, has been called in as a mediator in many conflicts, such as the horror in Burundi at the start of the century.
As far as gender equality is concerned, the country has one of the most advanced constitutions in the world and has seen women represented in the highest levels of government since the end of Apartheid. In this respect the country is, again, a leader on the African continent.
The reality on the ground in South Africa, however, shows these lofty accolades to be nothing but a facade. This is painfully clear when it comes to gender equality, which it seems is a lofty ideal that simply hasn’t moved from the hallowed halls of the intelligentsia down to grassroots level where women are still seen as property and sex as a the right of men—consent be damned. And this in a country with the highest AIDS prevalence globally, which is another horror story in itself.
One-Third Have Raped
While we celebrate 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, South Africa has one of the highest rape statistics globally. The country’s 2009 crime stats show 68,332 rapes reported during the year, with activists claiming that as little as 1 in 25 rapes are reported.
A study in 2010 by the Medical Research Foundation says that in Gauteng, the economic hub of South and southern Africa, 37 percent of men polled said they had raped a woman. “More than 51 percent of the 511 women interviewed said they'd experienced violence from men, and 78 percent of men said they'd committed violence against women.”
While Apartheid and its legacy certainly played a large part in creating this scenario, the culture of male entitlement and female insignificance is deeply embedded in South African culture, across all races. Take the example of a four-year-old girl who was turned away from two hospitals after being raped.
Then take the recent case of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was drugged and raped by two schoolboys while others filmed the assault on their mobile phones. The charges were dropped for “lack of evidence” and the victim then charged with statutory rape. Not even government officers seem to consider rape with the seriousness it requires.
First Lady, Second Lady, Third Lady...
Can this lack of empathy and understanding be changed? As with everything in South Africa, the change the country desperately needs will not come from the top. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has married five times. One wife died, one divorced him and the other three currently share a polygamous relationship with him. His most recent wife is almost 30 years his junior.
Foreign Policy, in a March 2010 article notes, “More than being about companionship or sex, polygamy is about money and status. Across the world, the practice has traditionally been the privilege of those who could afford to marry and maintain many wives and children. Practicing polygamy is a public sign that you have more resources—economic, political, and personal—than the average man.”
He has also been charged with rape, and acquitted, famously explaining that he showered after having consensual sex as this “would minimize the risk of contracting the disease [HIV].” He also said he was prepared to marry his rape accuser.
The sad truth is that despite the great advances made in South Africa, and Africa as a whole, women are still second-class citizens; and wives possessions more than partners. This truth is more apparent in the lower classes, but the culture extends to the highest levels. Why buy another Ferrari when you can marry a young bride to parade around?
The oppression and destruction of human dignity under apartheid achieved nothing positive. Now, having broken free of racial tragedy, how can the oppression and destruction of half of your population’s dignity be tolerated in a supposedly advanced society? And how can political attention that makes empty promises for the 16 Days of Activism change lives and restore hope for the other 349 days?
Andrew Seldon has been editor of various publications in South Africa and Germany. He is currently the editor of South Africa’s premier security technology magazine Hi-Tech Security Solutions (securitysa.com), based in Johannesburg.
a global affairs media network
From Reconciliation to Rape
December 10, 2010
With icons like the Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela and the African continent’s first peaceful transition to democracy, South Africa is generally perceived as an advanced country. Most people view South Africa as a beacon of hope in a continent plagued with violence, abject poverty, corruption and any number of additional negative descriptors.
Such is the reverence for South Africa’s peaceful transition and its architect that Mandela, apart from being awarded numerous honors, has been called in as a mediator in many conflicts, such as the horror in Burundi at the start of the century.
As far as gender equality is concerned, the country has one of the most advanced constitutions in the world and has seen women represented in the highest levels of government since the end of Apartheid. In this respect the country is, again, a leader on the African continent.
The reality on the ground in South Africa, however, shows these lofty accolades to be nothing but a facade. This is painfully clear when it comes to gender equality, which it seems is a lofty ideal that simply hasn’t moved from the hallowed halls of the intelligentsia down to grassroots level where women are still seen as property and sex as a the right of men—consent be damned. And this in a country with the highest AIDS prevalence globally, which is another horror story in itself.
One-Third Have Raped
While we celebrate 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, South Africa has one of the highest rape statistics globally. The country’s 2009 crime stats show 68,332 rapes reported during the year, with activists claiming that as little as 1 in 25 rapes are reported.
A study in 2010 by the Medical Research Foundation says that in Gauteng, the economic hub of South and southern Africa, 37 percent of men polled said they had raped a woman. “More than 51 percent of the 511 women interviewed said they'd experienced violence from men, and 78 percent of men said they'd committed violence against women.”
While Apartheid and its legacy certainly played a large part in creating this scenario, the culture of male entitlement and female insignificance is deeply embedded in South African culture, across all races. Take the example of a four-year-old girl who was turned away from two hospitals after being raped.
Then take the recent case of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was drugged and raped by two schoolboys while others filmed the assault on their mobile phones. The charges were dropped for “lack of evidence” and the victim then charged with statutory rape. Not even government officers seem to consider rape with the seriousness it requires.
First Lady, Second Lady, Third Lady...
Can this lack of empathy and understanding be changed? As with everything in South Africa, the change the country desperately needs will not come from the top. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has married five times. One wife died, one divorced him and the other three currently share a polygamous relationship with him. His most recent wife is almost 30 years his junior.
Foreign Policy, in a March 2010 article notes, “More than being about companionship or sex, polygamy is about money and status. Across the world, the practice has traditionally been the privilege of those who could afford to marry and maintain many wives and children. Practicing polygamy is a public sign that you have more resources—economic, political, and personal—than the average man.”
He has also been charged with rape, and acquitted, famously explaining that he showered after having consensual sex as this “would minimize the risk of contracting the disease [HIV].” He also said he was prepared to marry his rape accuser.
The sad truth is that despite the great advances made in South Africa, and Africa as a whole, women are still second-class citizens; and wives possessions more than partners. This truth is more apparent in the lower classes, but the culture extends to the highest levels. Why buy another Ferrari when you can marry a young bride to parade around?
The oppression and destruction of human dignity under apartheid achieved nothing positive. Now, having broken free of racial tragedy, how can the oppression and destruction of half of your population’s dignity be tolerated in a supposedly advanced society? And how can political attention that makes empty promises for the 16 Days of Activism change lives and restore hope for the other 349 days?
Andrew Seldon has been editor of various publications in South Africa and Germany. He is currently the editor of South Africa’s premier security technology magazine Hi-Tech Security Solutions (securitysa.com), based in Johannesburg.
