“It does not matter I am out cabinet”
ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini says she is at peace with not being appointed to the new cabinet announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday night.
For the former social development minister‚ the bigger fight – for the “emancipation of women” – was won with half the national executive now comprising women.
“I am still the president of the women’s league and I am still going to fight fiercely,” Dlamini said.
“My struggle is for the emancipation of women‚ not for myself.”
She added that she was thrilled that “for the first time” women made up 50% of the cabinet.
“It is the first time in the history of this country that the decisions of the national executive council for equal representation are implemented‚” said Dlamini.
But the battle was not over‚ she said‚ because the ANCWL was now targeting deployments in parliament’s oversight committees.
“We fought so hard‚ when we could not get females for premiers.
“We said in provinces where premiers are men‚ women must be the majority of the executive, and speakers in provincial legislatures must be women,” Dlamini said. However, the women’s league was concerned that some provinces were disobeying this NEC resolution.
She vowed that the women’s league would hold them accountable.
“Provinces that do not have the 60-40 policy while their premiers are men‚ they must account‚ because it means that they are taking us for a ride.
“It means that they do not understand that women play an important role in society,” Dlamini said.
“But also‚ it means they want to continue building a society [with] institutions of patriarchy and misogyny.
“Now that we have seen a progressive move in the cabinet‚ we are going for the remaining presiding officers and chairpersons of portfolio committees.
“So we need to ensure that it is 50% women representation in whatever structure‚ which is a first,” Dlamini said.
It is the first time in the history of this country that the decisions of the NEC for equal representation are implemented