Councillor angered by sexist remarks
Clr Michele Clarke, of ward 20, has urged the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality's (EMM) executive mayor to refrain from using what she called sexist remarks.
“I was appalled when the mayor described me as ‘fragile’ and having a ‘mothering attitude’ to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD). He should cease being patronising and sexist towards women,” said Clr Clarke.
She said these comments were sexist and in contradiction with what the ruling party had been preaching during the Women’s Month.
“These comments are sexist in the extreme and lead one to ask if the mayor can spot the irony. The ANC spent a good part of its speaking time lecturing the house on women quotas and the importance of women in what was Women’s Month. Yet, minutes later, he showed every woman present the ANC’s true colours. Every contemptuous remark aimed at DA women should have hit at the heart of women across the floor in the ANC,” she said.
Clr Clarke said her remarks that Ekurhuleni Chief of Police Hlula Msimang was a weak leader, and that some of the units of the EMPD were doing better than others, were justified.
“The success achieved by certain units within the EMPD deserves high praise. The dedicated officers who work within those units have strong senior police leadership and if the Police Chief was a convincing leader, there would be more well-run units within the EMPD,” she said.
An inquiry was sent to the EMM’s mayoral spokesperson, Mr Zweli Dlamini and the EMM’s spokesperson, Mr Samuel Modiba, on Tuesday, September 17 with a request for response by Wednesday, September 18. By the time of going to print no comment was received.
