2 November 2007
The Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) wishes to express its utmost horror
and outrage at the senseless killing of Nowinase Ngubenani and her sister
Nophumzile Nkonkwana in Mthonjana. This is an utter violation of the basic
human right to dignity and contradicts the founding values as enshrined in our
Constitution, being freedom, dignity and equality. The CGE is in the process of
holding talks with the House of Traditional Leaders and other stakeholders in
finding a solution to best deal with this problem.
CGE interventions
* Eastern Cape office has shown its support to the Ngubenani family by
visiting immediately after the incident to asses the situation and also
attended the funeral on the 19 October 2007.
* The legal department of the CGE (nationally) in conjunction with the
provincial CGE office, the CGE committees Cultural and Religion and Legal is
working on a date to meet with the Provincial House of Traditional
Leaders.
* The provincial CGE will be part of the march on the 20th November aimed at
opposing the bail application.
* An awareness campaign will be undertaken in March, because if undertaken now,
it will have no impact due to the fact that there is a lot being done already
by various departments.
* The Amathole District Municipality and departments like Home Affairs, South
African Social Security Agency (Sassa), to be encouraged to run service
delivery workshops in the area, because it has become obvious that poverty is
the underlying problem which is causing all the feud and conflict in the
area.
* The legal department to include workshops aimed at capacitating traditional
leaders in the new financial year.
* The provincial office of the CGE aligns itself with the proposal by the
national research department of CGE to conduct mini study on chieftainesses
issues.
* The provincial CGE office will closely monitor the case.
Contact:
Malebo Boikanyo
Communications Officer
Tel: 011 403 7182
Fax: 011 403 7188
Issued by: Commission on Gender Equality
2 November 2007
Source: Commission on Gender Equality (http://www.cge.org.za)
