Tag: Afrikaner men

No cultural group ís to blame for gender-based violence – SA presidency

The campaign to fight violence against women and children must be waged by all South Africans, black and white. In addition, no single cultural group can or should be blamed for this serious scourge which affects all sectors of society.

The Presidency has noted comments attributed to Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disability, Ms LuluXingwana. Clarity from the Ministry has not yet been obtained with regards to the comments.

We wish to assure the Afrikaner community and all South Africans that government’s commitment to non-racialism and diversity as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic,remains unwavering.

The contribution of Afrikaner males in the fight against gender-based violence and also generally to the building of a united, caring and prosperous South Africa, is as valuable as that of all South Africans. The nation should focus energies on finding solutions.

Enquiries: Mac Maharaj on 079 879 3203.

Issued by: The Presidency

Pretoria

Xingwana ‘apologises unconditionally’ to Afrikaner men

Minister Lulu Xingwana

Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana on Wednesday apologised for her comments about Afrikaner men.

“It has become clear to me that my comments may have offended some members of our community. I would, accordingly, like to retract these remarks and apologise unconditionally to them,” she said.

Xingwana told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that young Afrikaner men were raised to believe they owned women and children.

“Young Afrikaner men are brought up in the Calvinist religion believing that they own a woman, they own a child, they own everything and therefore they can take that life because they own it,” she said during the interview aired on Monday.

“We also have cultural differences as well in our own communities where we have women who are forced into marriage and we are dealing with all those issues.”

Xingwana was being interviewed following the arrest of paralympian Oscar Pistorius after the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14.

“Through my comments, I sought to convey the message that, as a country we have emerged from a very violent past and that some tend to use cultural and religious beliefs to justify gender inequality and abuse,” she said.

Earlier, the Afrikanerbond said Xingwana had proven beyond doubt she was not fit to hold office in a constitutional democracy.

The Christian Democratic Party called for President Jacob Zuma to fire her.

“Many non-Afrikaners, black and white, are members of Calvinist churches and her latest statement could be considered as religious intolerance,” party spokesman Rev Theunis Botha said.