Saturday, August 09, 2014

Statement of the ANCWL Following NEC Meeting Held 4 August 2014
ANC cadres defending their headquarters from DA demonstrators.
5 August 2014

The National Executive Committee of the African National Congress Women`s League met at an ordinary sitting on the 4th August 2014 at the St. Georges Hotel in Irene, Tshwane. The NEC meeting considered amongst others the work of the ANCWL and outcomes recorded in the Elections, the state of the organisation and preparations towards the National Conference of the ANC Women`s League.

The NEC dipped its revolutionary banner in memory of the late Deputy President of the ANC Women`s League, Comrade Nosipho Ntwanambi who passed on following prolonged illness on the 8th July 2014. Comrade Nosipho Ntwanambi has left an indelible mark and will be fondly remembered for her care and compassion for others and the dedication with which she served her community and the liberation movement over more than three decades.

The NEC expressed its gratitude to the countless women across South Africa, who came together and worked tirelessly in the Back to Back Electioneering Campaign to deliver the decisive victory of the ANC in the elections. The ANC Women`s League continues to fulfil its role of helping the ANC to broaden its mass base, while championing the aspirations of a section of our society that over the decades, has been oppressed and exploited as "a nation", as a class and as women. As an organisation we have reliably and consistently placed the collective energies of women at the service of the movement and the people of South Africa. For this we are grateful to the scores of volunteers and members who crisscrossed the length and breadth of our country telling the good story of 20 years of delivery by the ANC government.

While far-reaching victories have been recorded in the advancement of the women`s agenda over the last twenty years, the NEC has noted the setback suffered with the appointment of only one (1) female premier out of a possible eight (8) ANC Premiers. The NEC has committed itself to redouble its efforts to ensure that women, who are defined by the ANC`s Strategy and Tactics as the bedrock of the construction of a caring nation, naturally emerge as leaders within regional and provincial structures of the ANC. Such a bold and decisive step is intended to ensure that open and hidden forms of exclusion of women from positions of authority and power are eliminated.

Despite these challenges, the ANC Women`s League remains convinced that no other political party in South Africa pays greater attention to the empowerment and emancipation of women than the African National Congress. The NEC thus welcomes the appointment of women, in unprecedented numbers, as Speakers, Chairperson of Committees, Whips and other senior positions in our state machinery. We are confident that the successes of the ANCWL in advancing gender equality have also contributed to the greater representivity now evidenced in the parliamentary lists of many other political parties.

The NEC meeting took place against the backdrop of Women`s Month and the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Women`s Charter. These milestones provide opportune moment to reflect on the strides that have been in realising the type of society envisioned in the Charter and 20 years into democracy. While significant strides have been recorded, it is worrying to note that a report recently released by the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE), states that South Africa moved with speed to ensure transformation and women empowerment in the first 10 years of our democratic dispensation, there has however since been stagnation in some areas and regression in others. These include amongst others the lack of mechanisms to deal decisively with challenges of women and children abuse.

The 2014 Elections Manifesto and the State of the Nation Address committed the ANC government to radical socio-economic transformation underpinned by visible and urgent change. The NEC resolved on the need to define what radical socio-economic transformation must mean for women in order to qualitatively made a difference in their lives and reverse the regression and stagnation in the advancement of the women`s agenda. Its interpretation and translation into tangible programmes must inform the work of the ANC Women`s League to accelerate the pace of change for the women of South Africa. During this Women`s Month and as we approach the National General Council of the ANC in 2015, structures of the ANC Women`s League must give concrete expression to the definitive action required in order to build the type of society envisioned by the Women`s Charter in 1954.

To this end, the NEC has welcomed the location of the Women`s Ministry in the Presidency understanding that this strategic location should give greater impetus to its work. The ANC Women`s League is hopeful of strengthened engagement and a programmatic interface between the Ministry and various civil society formations in pursuit of our shared goals.

The NEC has adopted the theme "Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Women`s Charter: Working together to move South Africa forward" and the structures of the ANCWL are expected to develop and implement programmes to mark Women`s Month and the progress we are making to move South Africa forward. The NEC has committed itself to continue engagement with progressive women`s movements on the continent to take forward the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign. We will also continue to be vocal on incidences of women and child abuse including the recent case where the life sentence of a man was reduced on appeal on grounds that the 11-year-old girl he repeatedly raped was viewed as a "willing partner" by the North Gauteng High Court. Such a ruling defies basic principles of our law such as that a minor cannot give consent and that statutory rape can never be considered consensual. The ANCWL is studying the judgement in this case and shall be campaigning for the state to apply for review of the case.

The NEC has condemned the on going massacre of the Palestinian people by the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza. The ANC Women`s League joins progressive peoples of the world in calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the urgent resumption of negotiations to find a lasting solution to the Middle East crisis. We support the South African government`s humanitarian efforts in the region and echo the call made to silence the guns and halt the needless loss of life. Working together with the Gift of the Giver, the ANC Women`s League will be coordinating an effort to provide much needed support and relief to the women and children in the Gaza Strip. We call upon all South Africans to make donations in the form of sanitary and other aid packs that will form part of the humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza during this difficult time.

On the State of the Organisation, the NEC received a report that there are seven (7) provincial structures in good standing being Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. The provinces of the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are currently in the process of re-establishing their structures. The ANCWL has thus reached the threshold of 70% of structures required to convene a National Conference following the lapse of the term of the current executive. The NEC has adopted the road map towards the National Policy Conference, which will be held in December 2014, and the National Conference, which take place in April 2015. The NEC has adopted guidelines which will be issued to the structures of the organisation in due course.

The NEC reaffirmed the importance of organisational unity and has called for any ensuing leadership contestations to be conducted in a healthy manner intended to build the organisation following the National Conference. Leadership and membership alike must not seek to divide the organisation. In the build-up to the National Conference the NEC has called for robust debates, criticism and self-criticism within the confines and disciplines of the Congress movement.

Issued by
The African National Congress Women`s League

Enquiries
Edna Molewa: Head of Communications
076 462 5529

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