Zuma and Fransman share a sexist, anti-women bond - EFF's Ndlozi

22 July 2016

Johannesburg – The EFF is "disgusted" at the decision of the ANC to reinstate Marius Fransman as party leader in the Western Cape, spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement.

"This decision demonstrates that in the ANC those who undermine women, who use their positions of power to sexually harass and violate women, get protected and promoted to even share the stage with the president," he said.

Ndlozi said Fransman’s re-emergence into the public space next to Zuma, "serves as a clear validation of his position, despite the sexual harassment case".

"The EFF is not shocked though that it is (President Jacob) Zuma who personally went to exhume Fransman out of the sexual harassment shame he was being subjected to. This is because Zuma himself shares the same attitude of misogyny, patriarchal dominance and sexism that led Fransman to sexually harass his assistant.

"In essence, Zuma and Fransman share an anti-women sexism bond which characterises many in the ANC leadership. Zuma is able to overlook what Fransman did because Zuma is the number one sexist in our country."

Ndlozi said reinstating Fransman must demonstrate to all women and feminists that the ANC had no interest in advancing a women emancipation agenda.

"Women who get sexually harassed by ANC bigwigs will never report such crimes anymore because they do not get protected and supported, neither do they get justice. Instead their offenders, like Fransman, get to be endorsed by the head of the party. Victims of sexual abuse have no support, whist perpetrators get to be publicly validated, sharing the stage with the President."

'Perpetrators of sexual offences get celebrated'

He said through this act alone, the ANC has also validated and contributed to the culture of rape.

"At the centre of the promotion of rape culture is precisely that perpetrators of sexual offences get celebrated and a sense that reporting them is futile has been reaffirmed by the ANC as nothing happens to them.

"This is why many women who are raped and sexually harassed never speak out, because there is always a Zuma who undermines them and promotes, protects and celebrates their offenders," Ndlozi said.

ANC head of elections Nomvula Mokonyane confirmed to News24 on Thursday that Fransman was back in his job.

Fransman had been accused of sexually harassing 21-year-old Louisa Wynand while they were travelling to the party's January 8 celebrations in Rustenburg.

The sexual harassment case against Fransman was sent to the Northern Cape's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), after the DPP in North West decided not to proceed with the case, due to insufficient evidence.

The Northern Cape DPP had some queries, and had sent the docket back to the investigating officer.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said on Thursday that they had not yet received the docket back from the investigating officer.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.