No justice for single mothers

When KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged on 6 July that a criminal syndicate involving cops, prison staff, judges and politicians is holding South Africa hostage, the public believed him.

In the past couple of days, as we watched the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the parliamentary ad hoc committee proceedings, the evidence proved the allegations of this interference may be true.

Justice in South Africa has been on sale and the buyers are the ones who are politically and criminally affiliated.

This reminds one of the continuous cry of single mothers in maintenance courts.

Those that have consistently said that cases have been bought and justice denied in favour of the opposing parties.

This very country that today wants justice has proven that the voice of the mother is insignificant because their claims need to be validated by their favourites to be registered and taken seriously.

Yet, we must be honest, too, with ourselves in that not every court will agree that every applicant’s request is valid.

Some women, defeated by an unkind and unresponsive system, one that turns hopelessly slow, bow out of the journey and opt to rather fight to keep hunger at bay.

ALSO READ: ‘We are coming for you’ – Simelane signs MOU to restrict credit for child maintenance defaulters

Comments from maintenance officers who tell them to further live in poverty, this as they say “ma’am, you’ll just have to learn to live within your means.”

All the while the other parent flourishes by living their lives as though they do not have a responsibility and care in their life.

School fees owed, children’s shoes in tatters, lights barely on and clothes that have seen much better days… while the father lives life undeterred.

Under these very circumstances, we are expected to believe that justice was not sold?

Author Tina Swithin writes: “Motherly instincts are praised in virtually every aspect of society except the family court system. Instead, our innate instincts to protect our young is weaponised against us.”

This narrative honestly can only be changed by courts that refuse to be bought, not the women who feel victimised by it.

Not the men who consider it to be their safe haven and hiding place.

We can only wish the women who walk these corridors the strength to see their mission through and the courage to keep their roar when they feel that they have become the hunted – and for the men and women that work the system to refrain from selling the justice that keep children in unwarranted poverty.

ALSO READ: Mothers must also pay child maintenance based on income, says Kubayi