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Ms Nomboniso Gasa
Commission for Gender Equality

Re: Remarks attributed to Mr Tokyo Sexwale

Dear Ms Gasa

I am writing on behalf of the Congress of the People to bring to your attention remarks attributed to Mr Tokyo Sexwale, a member of the ANC's national executive committee, at a rally in Port Elizabeth last Saturday.

Mr Sexwale is reported to have said that COPE parades women on national TV, and that our party practices witchcraft.  It appears that Mr Sexwale was referring to the elderly women who have joined the ranks of our party recently.   

COPE views these remarks as deeply disturbing.  The freedom of association is a fundamental right in our country's constitution.  The women Mr Sexwale refers to spent decades of their lives in the liberation movement and endured immense suffering and pain fighting for us to have a Constitution that today makes all South Africans  proud.  In joining COPE, they are exercising their constitutional right to belong to a party of their choice.    It is our view that Mr Sexwale's remarks undermine this constitutional right.

We also view Mr Sexwale's uttering as dangerous and disrespectful of women and senior citizens.  To link elderly women with witchcraft at an election campaign rally has a potential to endanger their lives.  Our country has had many cases of violence visited upon elderly women on the basis of links to the so-called witchcraft.  I am sure you will agree that these comments are deeply irresponsible and undermine the dignity of women. 

Mr Sexwale's comments, taken together with the widely reported recent remarks on women by Youth League president, Julius Malema, paint a disturbing picture regarding the ANC's attitude toward the dignity of women.

COPE would like the Commission to investigate the remarks by Mr Sexwale and Mr Malema, in particular their impact on the constitutional right of women to dignity and freedom of association. 

We believe that all South Africans deserve to be treated with some level of respect by political parties. 

Nothing short of a public apology by the two men will, we believe, indicate to the country that the ANC intends to conduct a dignified elections campaign for 2009. 

I look forward to your response

Regards,

Charlotte Lobe
Secretary General

Cc: Mr Gwede Mantashe
Ms Angie Motshega

Issued by the Congress of the People, January 26 2009

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