Page 42 - AWOL Magazine SA

I grew up in the ANC ranks
and have held various senior positions in the governing party including Deputy Secretary and I served two terms as Treasurer in KwaZulu-Natal.
I hold a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and I am currently studying towards attaining my PhD.
2. Would you say your journey as a woman in politics has been easy?
Response: I have had a long journey in politics which has been both challenging and rewarding. Women face several obstacles when it comes to participating in political life. Structural barriers through discriminatory laws and institutions still limit women’s options to run for office. I have always held the firm belief that as public representatives, we all have a responsibility to live up to the mandate given to us by the South African electorate.
I draw inspiration from outstanding women leaders like Charlotte Maxeke whom ANC President Dr AB Xuma called “the mother of Black Freedom in South Africa”, Isithwalandwe Lilian Ngoyi, Umkhonto weSizwe Dorothy Nyembe who served no less than 15 years
in jail, making her the longest woman political prisoner in South Africa. I look to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who was cherished by the masses of
our land and crowned Mother of the Nation. Our generation stands on the shoulders and exemplary leadership of women
like Victoria Mxenge, Helen Joseph, Fatima Meer, Rahima Moosa, Florence Matomela and Ruth First who was assassinated through a letter bomb in Mozambique in 1982.
As we continue to fight for
the full emancipation of South African women and girls, I
wish to reiterate the words
of Lilian Ngoyi at a Women’s Conference in 1961 where she said: “Freedom does not come walking towards you - it must be won. As women we must go on playing our part”.
3. How has it been serving as the Premier of KwaZulu- Natal Province?
Response: I was honoured when on 10 August 2022 I was elected as the first female Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. I am forever grateful to my party, the ANC for having the foresight to deploy me as the first female to lead the province since our democracy
in 1994. This demonstrates
the commitment of the ruling party towards gender equality and ensuring that women are given an opportunity to make meaningful contribution towards growing the province and our country.
As the first female Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and working along very supportive men and women colleagues in
the Executive Council, I am determined to build a legacy which ensures that our policies are anchored on the idea of gender equality and making freedom meaningful to all.
We have begun to take gigantic steps in this regard. The first
is the strong oversight we
will exercise on the budget
for gender mainstreaming.
All departments and entities will have to account on the percentage of their budgets and programmes that go to women. We speak here of women from townships, rural and all other backgrounds.
As we engage in the current process of resetting and rebuilding of our province
that has been affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic, the July 2021 unrest and the flood disasters, it is our duty to put
in place programmes which increase the resilience of women to disasters, epidemics and violence. This realisation calls for a more gendered programme of action, and a recovery that provides women with more economic opportunities going forward.
4. What is the place of Women solidarity in the advancement of gender equality?
Response: While many of the demands of in the Freedom Charter and Women’s Charter have been achieved practically and through progressive legislation like the Labour Relations Act of 1995 and affirmative action policies, more still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.
It is upon all of us as leaders
to give meaning to gender mainstreaming by implementing commitments to eliminate unfair discrimination practices and promote gender equality.
AWLO Magazine, September 2022
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