Sisulu calls for Manana to be fired
HUMAN Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has joined calls for disgraced Deputy Higher Education Minister Mduduzi Manana to be fired for assaulting a woman.
Sisulu told Independent Media at the weekend that Manana’s attack on the woman was unjustified and he should be shown the door.
Sisulu also spoke against her nephew, Shaka, who was arrested and given bail for an attack on a woman, and said he must face the full might of the law.
Manana has been the subject of various calls by civil society and some politicians to be fired.
“A few days ago, the deputy minister of higher education was involved in a furious beating of a woman.
“I could not understand how it happened. I met him at the stairs of Parliament and I said to him that at whatever given opportunity, I will talk about it. He said: ‘I have accepted it and have apologised’,” said Sisulu.
Asked whether she wanted him to be fired, she said: “Yes.”
ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini said at the weekend Manana was not the only one, and said other politicians had done worse things.
Yesterday when addressing a gathering against woman and child abuse in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, Dlamini said their stance was against the abuse of women and children.
“Members of the ANC must restrain themselves. He (Manana) must follow all the processes that he is supposed to follow. But the most important thing here is that we have been lagging behind talking about issues of being innocent until proven guilty and supporting the victim.
“Our position is that the ANC must have a policy on abuse of women and there must be instant action against those who abuse women in the ANC.
“If you are a leader you must be able to restrain yourself,” said Dlamini.
“We are not going to take an excuse of anger because you are a leader and you should lead by example, especially during this period when a lot of young women are being killed.
“This is why the ANC needs to take strong action,” she said.
Asked on the sidelines of the event what action the ANC should take against Manana, Dlamini said: “I can’t pre-empt the processes of the discipline. Let the processes unfold.”
Dlamini did not disclose the names of politicians who she said had done far worse than Manana.
“I am not going to do that because our struggle is not about individuals.
“If we start that, men are going to close ranks, and therefore ours is to fight patriarchy and violence against women and children.”
She blamed the courts and judiciary for failing women seeking justice after being abused.
There must be instant action against those who abuse women