Presidency responds to Xingwana comments
2013-02-28 08:31
Johannesburg - No single cultural group should be blamed for
the scourge of violence against women and children, the presidency said on
Tuesday.
"We wish to assure the Afrikaner community and all
South Africans that government's commitment to non-racialism and diversity as
enshrined in the Constitution of the republic, remains unwavering," spokesperson
Mac Maharaj said.
It was issued following an apology from Minister of Women,
Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana for her comments about
Afrikaner men.
Said Maharaj: "The contribution of Afrikaner males in
the fight against gender-based violence and also generally to the building of a
united, caring and prosperous South Africa, is as valuable as that of all South
Africans."
Comments
Xingwana told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on
Monday that young Afrikaner men were raised to believe they owned women and
children.
She was being interviewed following the arrest of
paralympian Oscar Pistorius after his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead
at his Pretoria home two weeks ago.
"Young Afrikaner men are brought up in the Calvinist
religion believing that they own a woman, they own a child, they own everything
and therefore they can take that life because they own it," Xingwana said.
"We also have cultural differences as well in our own
communities where we have women who are forced into marriage and we are dealing
with all those issues."
Xingwana said in her apology: "It has become clear to
me that my comments may have offended some members of our community. I would,
accordingly, like to retract these remarks and apologise unconditionally [for]
them."
Earlier, the Afrikanerbond said Xingwana had proven beyond
doubt she was not fit to hold office in a constitutional democracy.
The Christian Democratic Party called for President Jacob
Zuma to fire her.
"Many non-Afrikaners, black and white, are members of
Calvinist churches and her latest statement could be considered as religious
intolerance," party spokesman Rev Theunis Botha said.
- SAPA
