Parliament, Tuesday, 02 June 2020 – The Chairperson the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus (MPWC) today condemned in the strongest terms the “barbaric” attack on social media on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Committee Chairperson Ms Nkhesani Kate Bilankulu said the attack allegedly by a Mr Herselman on the Minister Dlamini-Zuma “is so disgusting, degrading and heart-breaking. The attack comes at a time when everyone around the world is fighting Covid-19, but one individual chooses to fight a woman. That on its own shows how gender-based violence and femicide is rife in our country and further begs the question, if this attack is not also because of the colour of her skin?” Her comments come in the wake of a picture posted on social media depicting Minister Dlamini-Zuma as a monkey.

Ms Bilankulu urged the authorities to use the necessary legislation to attend to the issue as a matter of agency. “Dr Dlamini-Zuma’s rights, as enshrined in the Constitution, were infringed. Racist tendencies by a few should stop and stop now. People should know that they cannot get away with this type of behavior, as the majority of peace-loving South Africans will not tolerate it.”

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE MULTI-PARTY WOMEN’S CAUCUS, MS KATE BILANKULU.

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E-mail: razzakani@parliament.gov.za