SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE #6
w w w. b b u l le t i n . c o . z a
1956 THE RISE OF IMBOKODO PLAN BUSINESS
BASICS
YOU STRIKE A WOMAN YOU STRIKE A ROCK
BLACK EXCELLENCE
KAMOGELO SEEKOEI
MZANTSI SALUTE
TERRY
TWENTY THOUSAND WOMEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE MARCHED TO UNION BUILDINGS IN PRETORIA TO PROTEST AGAINST PASS LAWS AND SUBMITTED 100 000 SIGNED PETITIONS.
Womens month affords us (the country/ South Africans) a moment to reflect on progress in all aspect of leadership and meaningful contribution by women. In 1956 at the height of oppression and racial discrimination. Twenty thousand women from all walks of life marched to Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against pass laws and submitted 100 000 signed petitions, it was given to then prime minister JG Strijdom. The event challenged the political status-quo setting women on a path to unleash their yearning and longing for a greater contribution in the world of business and the discovery
(reality that men are everywhere dominating every industry there is and coming in to the space means breaking the walls first before building. The march was coordinated by the Federation of South African Women (Fedsaw) led by four women: Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams De Bruyn. Since then, woman have never looked back and that does not mean it was a walk in the park. Women have made strides with challenges. In 2005 President former Thabo Mbeki appointed Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcula the deputy president of South Africa after relieving Jacob Zuma of his duties. This a though time but a big progress for women and an opportunity for women to ascend the highest office in the land but we know what happened, politics.
“No government in South Africa could ever claim to represent the will of the people if it failed to address the central task of emancipation of women in all its elements, and that includes the government we are privileged to lead.” said former President Thabo Mbeki in 2004. To all the women in the country and the world, there is a lot you have done and still a cry to do more, and yes “you can” what you need to do is pursue your aspirations without being apologetic. As women you have the power to do and be anything the evidence is in the wall yet you have continued to compromise and betrayed the stand made by the women in 1956. The statement made by Ms Baleka Mbete, Former National Assembly Speaker on national radio on SAfm was unfortunate and apologetic at best.
Baleka Mbet e believes South Africa is not psychologically ready for a female president. Mbete was asked if South Africa was ready for a female president 25 years into democracy, her esteemed respond was: “I don’t think so, I think regrettably South Africa has proved that it is not ready psychologically.” Even though she believes there are capable women who can lead. Mbete added “this was overshadowed by the mindset that women are not the type of people to lead”. She continued to say, “I think there are lots of women who are ready, great and better than many male leaders but South Africa believes women are not the type of people who must be leaders although they see them doing great things but they believe otherwise”. Were there any men ready to lead in 1994?