SIYABONGA SITHOLE
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa's (Numsa) newly elected second deputy president, Puleng Phaka, has lamented the plight of South Africa's women, 28 years into democracy as the country celebrates Women's Day on August 9, 2022. Phaka says capitalism and profit interests have made life for women a “war zone”.
“The past 28 years of the so-called democracy have not created a free society which we envisioned when we were fighting against apartheid. The negotiated settlement which gave birth to the democratic dispensation has not created a genuinely free and equal society for all,” Phaka said in a statement on Tuesday.
Phala, who replaced Ruth Ntlokotse and the trade union's second deputy president at the recent 11th Numsa national congress in Cape Town, said women were still suffering the burden of poverty and unemployment. She also lamented the country’s continued growth as the the world's most unequal society.
“In 2022, the African working class majority is still suffering under the burden of crippling poverty, the highest rate of inequality in the world and high unemployment. The rate of unemployment among women was 36.8%in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 32.4%among men. The unemployment rate among African women was 41% during this period compared with 8.2% among white women, 22.4% among Indian/Asian women and 29% among coloured women, ” Phaka said.
Phaka said under the ANC leadership, since the advent of democracy, the country has continued to climb the ladder of being the most unequal societies with skewed ownership patterns reflecting lack of transformation.
“Ownership patterns of the economy continue to benefit the white minority as it did under apartheid. Only 3 500 adults owning more than the poorest 32 million people in the country of 60 million. Numsa has been proven right when it characterised the ANC government as security guards for white monopoly capital, because it left the architecture of apartheid largely intact,” she said.
On the issue of gender-based violence against women, the newly minted deputy president said the recent gang rape of eight women at West Village in Krugersdorp is indicative of a country at war with women.
“South African women are living in a war zone and it seems the authorities are paralysed to stop it. The suffering of women cannot be isolated from the crisis of the capitalist system. The brutality that we are seeing, where there are increased levels of violence are all examples of the failure of capitalism,” she said.
Phaka said part of the interventions sought by Numsa in the fight for women is increased funding for shelters and community-based services for victims of abuse and sexual violence.