Pahad skirts female president bid

ANC veteran and former minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad has described the question of whether South Africa is ready for a female president as nonsensical and sexist.

“The only ones who put forth this question are people who are sexist. No one who is not a sexist will ask this question. It’s nonsensical. I get angry that people want to even suggest such debates.

“Of course a woman is ready to lead. Do we question the mother’s leadership role in the household and whether she is ready to lead her children? Do we ever question if a man is ready to be a president? Of course not,” Pahad said.

He was speaking hours after he had spent the day with his fellow comrade Ahmed Kathrada at the consulate-general of India in Parktown, Joburg.

Kathrada’s foundation was awarded R2 million by the government of India to continue its work geared towards a non-racial South Africa.

As the race for the position of the ruling party’s top position heats up, Pahad refused to be drawn on discussing names, but said level-headed leaders were imperative in carrying forwards the torch of democracy.

“I have been a member of the ANC for donkey’s years, therefore I am disciplined… And I will not comment on any particular individual.

“But I will, however, point out that in terms of ANC policy, it is perfectly fine to argue on the emancipation of women and how far we as a party have come, rather than be fixated on names.

“Nobody can deny that the issue of a female president is a critical one, but these are matters that we should tackle at the policy conference leading up to our elective conference in December,” he said.