Date: 11/08/2010
Source: Freedom Front Plus
Title: FFPlus: Mulder: Speech by FFPlus Member of Parliament, on the Women's Day debate, National Assembly, Cape Town

In the past week we again celebrated Women's Day in South Africa. It is an opportunity which we have to stand still and evaluate - not only how we have progressed in the process to empower women, but also to promote equal opportunities and progress for all women.

It is of course not a new topic. Recently on the 9th March of this year we held a debate here on International Women's Day - and the topic was - "equal rights for all, equal opportunities for all", nearly identical to today's topic.

The FF Plus is of the opinion that in the past number of years great progress has been made to not only empower women, but also to set equal opportunities there. It is good and right and the FF Plus will support all measures to give equal opportunities to women. The FF Plus realizes the important role women play and want to honour and respect all women for it.

But everything is however not moonshine and roses. The ANC want to create the impression that they are at the forefront when it comes to equal rights and equal opportunities for women.

The reality in SA is that it should be asked if equal opportunities and a chance for progress for women are applicable to ALL women and whether a distinction is made on the basis of race and colour. The Director General of Labour, Mr. Jimmy Manyi, as president van die Black Management Forum says that white women should be excluded when it comes to the implementation of affirmative action. It is his point of view. Here, a blatant distinction is made based upon race.

If the ANC government really believes that there should be equal opportunities for all women, why did Captain Renate Barnard "a white" woman have to turn to the labour court to obtain her rightful promotion to the rank of superintendent? It proves that the government's policy and enforcement of affirmative action is inherently wrong and unlawful, just as we have always argued. Why does a white woman, i.e. Renate Barnard, struggle for 5 years to be promoted in the Police? She meets all the requirements and has been approved twice already for the position. There is no other suitable black candidate for the position but the Police refuse to promote her. If the ANC members who sit here today say they support the policy of the ANC of "equal rights and equal opportunities for all women" then they should intervene to have the Police's application to appeal against the decision of the labour court in favour of Capt. Barnard stopped immediately. Even the court said that it boiled down to racism.

As long as things such as these happen in South Africa to women from different minority groups, whether it be white, brown or Asian, the words of equal opportunity for all women will have no meaning and will remain a hollow propaganda slogan.