MULTI-PARTY WOMEN’S CAUCUS CHAIRPERSON CONDEMNS KICKING OF ANC CHIEF WHIP AT PAP
Parliament, Tuesday, 1 June 2021 – The Chairperson of the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus (MPWC) has condemned in the strongest possible terms incidents of violence that have marred the last two days of sessions of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in which female Members of Parliament (MPs) had been injured.
MPWC Chairperson, Ms Nkhensani Kate Bilankulu, condemned the violence. “Such behaviour is unbecoming by public representatives who were elected to serve and lead the nation. What example are they setting? People look up to them. It does not seem that some of the Members of the PAP have any interest in ending gender-based violence (GBV). It is a total disgrace.”
In one of the incidents of chaos on Monday, the Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC) in Parliament, Ms Pemmy Majodina, was kicked. It is alleged that a male MP from Senegal kicked Ms Majodina during a scuffle between MPs from francophone and anglophone countries over the election of a new PAP leadership. Ms Majodina said she saw two MPs in a scuffle and approached them to make peace. The MP, identified by Ms Majodina as “Honourable Jibiri from Senegal”, later apologised – and told the SABC that he had been trying to kick a cellphone which was held by a male Zimbabwean MP who was filming him. Ms Majodina, who had earlier said she would be opening a case of assault against the Senegalese MP, accepted the apology.
Ms Bilankulu said: “I note his apology to Honourable Majodina, but with the high rates of gender-based violence in the country, the MPWC cannot be silent on this matter. Violence of any nature is unacceptable and must be condemned, and for there to be a repeat of the chaos and violence wherein female members are also injured, is totally unacceptable.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE MULTI-PARTY WOMEN’S CAUCUS, MS NKHENSANI KATE BILANKULU.