29/01/2022
For Immediate Release
28 January 2022
ANCWL AMATHOLE REGION STATEMENT ON THE 27TH JANUARY 2022 RTT MEETING OUTCOMES
The ANCWL convened its first ordinary RTT meeting in the year 2022 on the 27th January through a virtual platform. The meeting was also the first after the ANC in the region had convened a successful regional conference in December 2021, we would therefore like to congratulate ANC branches for the successful conference and further congratulate the elected leadership. The RTT has confidence that the next 3 years will be dedicated in radical transformation of our communities to better the lives of our people.
The women’s league in Amathole congratulates the 2021 Matric learners in Amathole for the outstanding performance which contributed to the 4,9% improvement in the Eastern Cape province. Their dedication resulted in Amathole west securing the 3rd place in the province at 74,6% with the highest improvement of 11,4%, and Amathole East securing the 4th place at 74.4% with a significant improvement of 7,1% from 2020. We wish these bright stars all the best as they ascend to the system of Higher education.
The RTT further noted that both districts, Amathole west and East, are led by women as district directors and this should be a highlight which proves against the patriarchal notion that women are less capable. We congratulate the two district directors for their sterling work and leadership.
The Amathole RTT welcomes back all learners and teachers back to school for the 2022 academic year. We commit our support for the back to school campaigns with its challenges which include the delay on the delivery of stationery to some schools. Whilst calling on government to expedite their efforts to address this challenge, we call on all hands-on deck approach to assist learners in the affected schools by all stakeholders. The Women’s League will be working closer with SGB’s to provide necessary support in ensuring learners are back to school and ready for the year ahead.
In the efforts for women emancipation in our country, the meeting reflected on the election of Nkosikazi Nosandi Mhlauli as the chairperson of the National House of Traditional leaders. Nkosikazi Nosandi hails from the Amahlubi Traditional Council in Ngqushwa and she becomes the first woman chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders. The meeting viewed this as a milestone towards gender equality in our country.
The RTT reflected on the violent incident in the Amathole District Municipality offices wherein comrade Nanziwe Rulashe, one of our WL RTT members who is also a councilor deployed by the ANC in the district municipality was seen in a video which went viral being dragged by a group of men on the floor.
The RTT condemns these backward actions In the harshest possible manner, women should never fear for their safety even in their places of employment especially government institutions which are supposed to be advocates of the fight against gender based violence.
We would further wish to acknowledge and appreciate the support received from the structures of our movement, the ANCWL both provincially and nationally, the ANC in the Region and Provincially, Alliance partners, COGTA, NGOs and many other organizations who reacted to violent incident committed in the district municipality offices.
The meeting acknowledged that the Executive Mayor has come out and affirmed the position of the ANC on GBV and acted on the preliminary findings, the meeting further supports the call from the WL NEC to the municipal leadership to expeditiously conclude the investigation on the matter.
Beyond actions taken on this incident, the RTT calls on the municipality to develop programs to capacitate women in the institution both employed and deployed councilors, and further create awareness programs within the institution on Gender Based Violence working with the women caucus. This goes further to Local Municipalities in Amathole region.
The RTT noted the case before the court which involves a young girl from Dutywa, Inga Ncobo, who was allegedly assaulted in 2019. The meeting resolved to support the case in line with our commitment to be always found on the side of the victim.
The meeting mandated the office of the RTT coordinator to compile data on all GBV cases in Amathole region, resolved during our period in office and unresolved cases. The RTT would meet and make an assessment on all the cases in the report, reflect and make a case study on the cases that were successfully supported by the women’s league to their conclusion and trace the unresolved cases.
In conclusion, the RTT acknowledged the success of the Vuma vaccination campaign, its progress which includes the extension of the vaccination drive to schools gives hope towards victory in the fight against the deadly COVID – 19. The RTT further acknowledges and appreciates the growing active participation of civil society in the struggle against gender-based violence.
For Enquiries,
Cde Nomonde Onceya
ANC WL RTT Coordinator.
0663605355
