ANC's commitment to passing Traditional Courts Bill an affront to women's rights

The ANC's commitment to continue to pursue the Traditional Courts Bill after the elections is an affront to women's rights and is a clear indication of the party's desperation to win votes at all costs.

The Bill, which was clearly designed to muster up support for President Zuma amongst traditional leaders, will lapse after it failed to gain a majority of five provinces' support in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

First introduced in 2008, the Bill failed to pass constitutional muster. In 2014, the proposed law still violated the basic rights of South Africans, particularly that of rural women.

Thus, the lapsing of this Bill can be construed as a legislative victory for both our Constitution and the South African public.

According to the Department of Justice, this controversial Bill is set to return to Parliament following the 7 May elections. This is a forked tongue approach which must be condemned.

The DA will continue to push for a substantial overhaul of this bill, taking into account the myriad comments at both rounds of public participation the NCOP engaged in. We will pursue all avenues to ensure that this Bill adheres to the principles enshrined in our Constitution - protecting the rights of men and women while being culturally sensitive.

This Bill, having failed the constitutional litmus test, is a clear indication that Zuma's ANC is more interested in stringing people along and garnering support with a complete disregard for what is in the best interest of our people.

The DA will not let this go unanswered. A vote for the DA on 7 May is: a vote for upholding our Constitution; and a vote for respecting South Africans human rights. 

Statement issued by Debbie Schafer MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, March 3 2014

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