A few days ago a video of a Zimbabwean woman unhappy with the fact that tropical cyclones are given female names started circulating on social media. Evidently agitated, the woman makes a phone call to the ZBC demanding to speak to the weather reporter.
She then starts shouting on the phone “why are all these cyclones that are killing our people, given female names – why are u cursing us? How can u discriminate against woman like that, cyclone Gloria, cyclone Dineo, cyclone Dorcus…no, no, no, no! Why don’t you give them male names like cyclone James, cyclone Joshua, cyclone Tinashe, huh?
Her argument is that men are by nature very destructive, and for that reason these cyclones should be given male names. Well, I don’t know if I agree, but what I do know is that gender equality remains a fundamental human right, and no person should ever be discriminated against on the basis of gender or race.
All jokes aside. We have, as a country made substantial progress over the past 23 years insofar as gender equality is concerned. Though there is an acknowledgement from all of us that the education of young women remains a persistent challenge with most girls not been able to complete their secondary education, and amongst some of the reasons are early pregnancy and being forced to stay at home and look after children.
We are commemorating Human Rights Day next week Tuesday.
Government has decided to lead this year’s Human Rights Month celebrations under the theme, “The Year of OR Tambo: Unity in action in advancing Human Rights”.
\President Zuma declared during the State of the Nation Address, that 2017 will be the year of OR Tambo.
For the benefit of those who may not know, Oliver Regional Tambo was a visionary leader and a revolutionary who led the African National Congress through its years in exile including, being President from 1967 to 1991.
He would have been 100 years old had he lived to this day. The OR Tambo Centenary consequently provides a platform for us to reflect on his selfless and spirited effort towards a peaceful transition to democracy and a tireless campaigner for human rights. The celebrations will also be linked to marking the 40th anniversary of the passing of Steve Bantu Biko.
The recent incidents of attacks on foreign nationals and a sequence of racist slurs is confirmation that there are still some amongst us who take for granted the efforts of many before us and our collective work as well as the progress we have made as a country in moving from an oppressive society to one that values human rights.
But, South Africans should not allow the behaviour of a few diehard racists and mobsters to put a damper on our celebrations. We should instead use this month to foster social cohesion and nation-building.
We read with utter disgust an article a few days ago of one North West delinquent who took to Facebook to boast about having deliberately splashed water on white school children. Last year we also reacted with shock at the Facebook post by a Kwazulu-Natal estate agent who referred to black people who went to a Durban beach on New Year’s Day as “monkeys.” As if that was not enough, we then saw a video of Rethabile Mlotshwa who was assaulted and bundled into a coffin by two white racists in Middelburg, allegedly for trespassing.
Closer to home, we remember the video of Johannes Monyela, a petrol attendant assaulted at Sasol garage by two men who were later charged, convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 18 months imprisonment. These are not the incidents we want to witness 23 years into democracy.
In celebrating Human Rights Month and paying tribute to OR Tambo, we should invest energy and demonstrate the same vigour in condemning the behaviour of that black North West idiot just as we did to that disgraced estate agent from Kwazulu-Natal and the two evil-possessed men from Middelburg. No black man should be made to believe that it’s revolutionary to attack defenceless white children, and equally no white person should ever treat vulnerable black people as sub-humans.
We must, and should as a collective take pride in what we have achieved as a nation and press ahead as we try to build on the progress we have made. The attainment of the goals set out in our vision 2030 is so much dependent on how ready are we as a nation to work together towards the creation of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
The writer, Odas Ngobeni works for Government Communications and Information System (GCIS). He writes in his personal capacity.
