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Editorial: Women’s league is misguided in defending Zandile Gumede

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The ANC Women’s League has finally sprung into action, speaking out about having more women in decision-making positions and calling for accountability.

However, it missed the mark in its reaction to this week’s decision by the ANC’s provincial executive committee (PEC) in KwaZulu-Natal to fire eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede.

To recap, the ANC structure removed Gumede – who is facing fraud and corruption charges, and is out on R50 000 bail – after nearly three months of dithering.

But the PEC members’ stated reason for axing the mayor was not her alleged criminality.

Their primary reason for doing so was “the continued and sustained decline” in the city.

They claimed to be finally acting on complaints from citizens over a lack of service delivery in “distressed” areas.

The dismissal was based on a working committee report, which noted that eThekwini residents’ complaints ranged from “substantial challenges to raise revenue due to infrastructure [to] various municipal grants not being properly dispersed due to poor planning, sustained patterns of wrongdoing and certain unethical behaviours, as well as the inability to comply with the regulations suggested by the Auditor-General”.

In other words, she was not doing the job that she was hired to do.

The women’s league has lashed out at the party for what it calls “a culture of removing women from positions of power”.

But what was the alternative? Keeping on someone who is obviously not doing the job she is being paid to do?

Keeping on someone who is facing criminal charges for an issue that has arguably led South Africa to the dire situation it finds itself in today?

South Africa is in a tight spot economically, morally and socially. There is no room for people who are not going to contribute to its revival.

We cannot be retaining people who are not doing their jobs or who are involved in illegal activities, regardless of their gender, race or political affiliation.

The women’s league should be focusing on identifying, educating, training and mentoring women who will lead in the state, academia, business and other areas of society.

Defending someone who is morally wanting and whose leadership style is grossly deficient does nothing to support women’s emancipation and advancement.

It is totally misguided.

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