Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on alleged behaviour of CGE Commissioner Mbuyiselo Botha
3 August 2021
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane wishes to express her shock, disappointment and dismay at the audio clip making rounds on social media in which a Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), identified as Commissioner Mbuyiselo Botha, is allegedly heard making extremely derogatory remarks as he is conversing with someone over the phone.
In the clip the speaker is heard berating fellow Commissioners and the Chairperson of the CGE, Ms Tamara Mathebula. He blatantly disregards the rights and dignity of the women commissioners. The speaker goes further to refer to Commissioner Mazibuko, by a derogatory and deeply hurtful term for a Person with Albinism. Commissioner Mazibuko is noted for her strong work on albinism and fighting against the discriminatory attitudes and practices against persons with disabilities and especially bigotry against persons with albinism in the country.
It therefore goes beyond understanding that in one utterance, the speaker can trample on everything the CGE stands for. What is of even more concern is that the alleged speaker is often interviewed on national media platforms for his stance on gender-based violence and against the violation of women’s rights. One begins to question the hypocrisy in this.
“I was completely flabbergasted when I heard the clip. I had to listen to it again to make sure I was hearing correctly. This is an unbelievable injustice. This type of behaviour and attitude, especially from someone who has been tasked to uphold the rights of all citizens, is a stain on the country’s moral fabric,” said Minister Nkoana-Mashabane.