Imbokodo isafuna ilungiswe eyokumeleleka
NJENGOBA iNingizimu Afrika isaqhubeka nokubungaza inyanga yabesifazane ngoLwesibili abesifazane abebeqhamuka emikhakheni ehlukene bahlangane ePhalamende lapho bekunengqungquthela yabo ebizwa ngeWomen’s Charter Review Conference. Le ngqungquthela yenziwe yaqondaniswa nale nyanga yokubungaza imbokodo. Ngaphandle kwalokho yenziwe kulo nyaka obaluleke kakhulu emlandweni weNingizimu Afrika ngoba ibungaza ikhulunyaka kwazalwa owaba nguMengameli wokuqala oMnyama uMnu uNelson Mandela owadlula emhlabeni eminyakeni emihlanu edlule kanjalo noMama u-Albertina Sisulu owayenguMama Wesizwe. Iqhaza likaMama uSisulu liyohlala likhunjulwa njalo emlandweni wezwe ngoba waba nesandla ekutheni elakuleli lizuze inkululeko.
Le ngqungquthela ibe inkundla yokubhunga kwabesifazane ngezinselelo ababhekene nazo esikhathini samanje. Umnikelo ohlukahlukene abawenzile ngesikhathi behlangene uzolekelela ekusungulweni kweWomen’s Charter ngasekuqaleni kowezi-2019. Ingqungquthela yokuqala ngaphansi kweWomen’s Charter yabanjwa ngowezi- 1954, ngaleso sikhathi umhlangano wabizwa ngeFederation of South African Women (FEDSAW). Kulowo mhlangano kwagcizelelwa ukulingana kwabesilisa nabesifazane bezinhlanga zonke, banikwe amathuba alinganayo, baholelwe ngokulinganayo, namalungelo abo alingane kuphinde kususwe nemithetho ebacindezelayo ephinde ivimbele abesifazane ekutholeni amathuba alinganayo nawabesilisa. Lezi ziphakamiso ezenziwa kule ngqungquthela nanamuhla zisamile njengasekuqaleni futhi zisabalulekile. IWomen’s Charter, ihambisana neWomen’s Charter for Effective Equality, okwaba ngesinye sezibophezelo ezathathwa iPhalamende lokuqala ngaphansi kwenkululeko ngowe-1994.
Evula le ngqungquthela oyiSekela likaSihlalo weNational Council of Provinces uMnu uRaseriti Tau uthe ukuqedwa kwezindlela ezicwasa abesifazane kungenzeka kuphela ngokuthi abesilisa nabesifazane babambane. “Kusemqoka ukuhlangana kwabafana namantombazane ukuze kuthi uma sebefi ke ebudaleni bakuqonde ukubaluleka kwamalungelo nokufukulana ukuze kuphumelele iphupho lokulingana nokwaziswa kwabesifazane esikhathini esiningi abebeshiywe ngaphandle,” kusho uTau. Uthe umzabalazo wokulwa nokulinganiswa kwabantu umzabalazo oqhubekayo ongeke waqhutshwa ngabesifazane kuphela ngaphandle kokubambisana nabesilisa. Nangesikhathi sekunamaqoqo ezingxoxo zokubonisana phakathi kwabesifazane kule ngqungquthela obekuphambili ukukhathazeka ngokucindezeleka kwabo.
UKhomishana uNkk uNomsisi Bata obemele iCommission on Gender Equality uthe inkululeko angeke yatholakala uma abesifazane benganikiwe amandla anele. Uthe kungenzeka ukuthi abesifazane bameleleke ngokulingana nabesilisa ezinhlanganweni zezepolitiki. “IKhomishini angeke ikuthole ukuphumula uma lokhu kungakafezeki futhi kwenziwa kwaba umthetho” kuphetha uNkk uBata. Ngesikhathi sezithangami zokubonisana abesifazane baphakamise amaphuzu amaningi okukhona kuwo ukuphepha kwabo ezweni. Bathe kusekhona ukubukelwa kwabo phansi nokucwaswa ngezindlela ezihlukene ngabesilisa okugcina ngokuthi zingabi khona izinyathelo ezithathelwa abesilisa okutholwa ukuthi benza lokhu. Ezinye iziphakamiso okuphunywe nazo kule ngqungquthela kube ukusungulwa kohlaka okuzobikwa kulo isimo abesifazane abakuso eningizimu Afrika kugxilwe kakhulu ezintweni esezike zaphakanyiswa ngaphambilini ePhalamende Labesifazane, iWomen’s Parliament.
Kubuye kwagcizelelwa ukusungulwa kweWomen’s Charter ezogxila ekuphuthumiseni imithetho ezoqinisekisa ukuthi abesifazane abashiywa ngaphandle ezindabeni zentuthuko futhi nabo bayalingana nabesilisa ukuze kushintshwe impilo yabo. Abesifazane bachaze le ngqungquthela njengebe inkundla yokubuyekeza izinselelo ababhekene nazo futhi ebasizile ukubheka ukuthi bangaya kanjani phambili. Igalelo labantu besifazane kwezepolitiki abanjengoMama uSisulu, uMadikizela Mandela, u-Adelaide Tambo nabanye bangaphambili lituswe kakhulu kule ngqungquthela ngokuzinikela kwabo ngezikhathi ezinzima.
