Report on Women's Parliament, Date 28 August 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REPORT ON WOMEN’S PARLIAMENT 2020 HELD AT PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA ON A HYBRID VIRTUAL PLATFORM DATE: 28 AUGUST 2020 THEME Generation Equality: Advancing our collective efforts to end Gender Based Violence and Femicide TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 SESSION ONE ................................................................................................................................... 2 2. OPENING REMARKS: MS SE LUCAS, MP - DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP…………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 3. KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON BEHALF OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: MS M NKOANA-MASHABANE, MP - MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY FOR WOMEN, YOUTH AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES............................................................................................... 3 4. LEGISLATIVE SECTOR APPROACH: MR LS TSENOLI, MP – DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ........................................................................................................... 4 5. THE JUDICIARY: JUSTICE S KHAMPEPE,ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF JUSTICE ………..6 6. MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FROM HIS EXCELLENCY, MR CM RAMAPHOSA - THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA ............................................................ 10 SESSION TWO ................................................................................................................................ 12 7. STATEMENTS: PROVINCIAL STATEMENTS AND SALGA ........................................... 12 7.1 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE (EC) .................................................................................... 13 7.2 FREE STATE PROVINCE (FS) .......................................................................................... 16 7.3 GAUTENG PROVINCE (GP).............................................................................................. 17 7.4 KWA-ZULU NATAL PROVINCE (KZN) .......................................................................... 19 7.5 LIMPOPO PROVINCE (LP) ................................................................................................ 20 7.6 MPUMALANGA PROVINCE (MP) ................................................................................... 21 7.7 NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE (NC) ............................................................................... 22 7.8 NORTH WEST PROVINCE (NW) ...................................................................................... 24 7.9 WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE (WC) .................................................................................. 25 7.10 SALGA ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….26 7.11 MESSAGE OF SUPPORT, MS L KOMAPE- NGWENYA………………………………...………………..….….27 SESSION 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 28 8. CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENTS ................................................................................................ 28 8.1 PROF. R JEWKES AND PROF. N ABRAHAMS: SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (SAMRC) ................................................................................................. 28 8.3 MR B KHUMALO: SONKE GENDER JUSTICE .............................................................. 32 8.4 DR M KGANAKGA, SANAC MEN’S SECTOR ............................................................... 34 8.5 MR T MASANGO, NOT IN MY NAME SOUTH AFRICA .............................................. 35 8.6 PROF. A BOSCH, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY ........................................................ 35 9. INTERACTIVE SESSION ............................................................................................................ 37 SESSION 5 ....................................................................................................................................... 41 ii 10. STATEMENTS BY POLITICAL PARTIES ............................................................................. 41 10.1 DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE (DA) .......................................................................................... 41 10.2 ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS (EFF) ........................................................................... 42 10.3 INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY (IFP) ..................................................................................... 43 10.4 FREEDOM FRONT PLUS (FF+) ............................................................................................ 44 10.5 AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (ACDP) ................................................... 45 10.6 UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT (UDM)………………………….………………46 10.7 AFRICAN TRANSFORMATION MOVEMENT (ATM) ....................................................... 46 10.8 GOOD ....................................................................................................................................... 47 10.9 NATIONAL FREEDOM PARTY (NFP) ................................................................................. 48 10.10 AFRICAN INDEPENDENT CONGRESS (AIC) .................................................................. 48 10.11 AL-JAMA-AH ........................................................................................................................ 49 10.12 AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) ....................................................................... 50 10.13 MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: MRS GN SHOPE ...................................................................... 51 11. CLOSING ...................................................................................................................................... 51 12. SUMMARY OF KEY CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................. 52 12.1 CHALLENGES ........................................................................................................................ 52 12.2 RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................... 53 iii 1. INTRODUCTION On 28 August 2020, the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa hosted a hybrid Women’s Parliament. Some of the delegates were physically present at Parliament’s National Assembly Chamber while others participated via the Zoom virtual platform. The session was convened under the theme, “Generation Equality: Advancing our collective efforts to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)”, with the following objectives: • A three sphere report back session, to appraise the nation on progress made to implement GBVF and economic empowerment executive undertakings. • Receive detailed reports on challenges that prevent accelerated progress. • Receive action plans to end GBVF to be undertaken over the next 12 months. The 2020 Women’s Parliament created a platform for reflecting and reporting back about progress and challenges in the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF including the Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP). The honest, transparent and true reflection by delegates paved a way for strengthening of collective efforts in eradication of GBV. The delegates noted the challenges brought about by the novel corona virus (COVID-19) which not only led to an increase in incidences of GBVF, but also left many women more vulnerable due to loss of income. In this regard, the delegates called for urgent, intensified, and responsive implementation of all key undertakings, coupled with adequate funding, effective oversight, monitoring and evaluation. 1 SESSION ONE 2. OPENING REMARKS: MS SE LUCAS, MP - DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Ms Sylvia Lucas (MP), delivered the opening remarks and welcomed all delegates to the first hybrid Women’s Parliament. Ms Lucas reflected on resolutions and highlights of the first Women’s Parliament for the sixth Parliament which was convened in August 2019. She reminded the delegates of a resolution taken during the 2019 Women’s Parliament, to intensify efforts to eradicate GBVF due to pervasive levels in South Africa. Ms Lucas reflected on the ERAP as announced after an urgent Parliament Joint Sitting Debate convened by the President of the Republic of South Africa in response to rising levels of GBVF in 2019. She also highlighted the key purpose of the 2020 Women’s Parliament was to provide feedback on the progress made on the Executive’s undertakings in implementing the actions and interventions made to address the scourge of GBVF. Ms Lucas went on to state that Sectoral Parliaments create a very strategic platform to bring together leaders from various spectrums in the country to debate and share ideas. She noted that the platform is not just to lament but to look closely at the living conditions of South Africans. Ms Lucas emphasised the importance of giving effect to resolutions taken during previous Women’s Parliaments. In this regard, she detailed progress about a process to review the 1994 Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, and, hosting a summit aimed at strengthening national gender machinery as an attempt to respond to the recommendations made at the 2019 Women’s Parliament. The need for an urgent programme of actions from the three arms of state was also stressed. Hence the inclusion of all three arms of state in this year’s Women’s Parliament programme. She described the 2020 Women’s Parliament as a platform to distil points of views that must shape and influence state policy on GBVF. Ms Lucas highlighted that the 2020 Women’s