Cde Jessie Duarte is no fool of special type and patriarchal gender power relations is real: an ANCYL's response to Cde Jim
The African National Congress Youth League we have noted with great concern NUMSA General Secretary Cde Irvin Jim's response to the article by the ANC Deputy Secretary General Cde Jessie Duarte. We have felt it important that if Cde Irvin Jim's response is not engaged some of the substantive issues in the debate could be missed and buried under a smoke of gossip and insults.
As we enter this debate we are aware of the great risk of being labelled especially by Cde Ivirn Jim as part of the conspiracy to oust the General Secretary of COSATU but given our conviction on the substantive issues it's a risk we must take. From the onset we think it is pot thinking and opportunist to reconstruct all sorts of gossip about Cde Jessie Duarte and not meant to enrich or engage the substantive issues raised by Cde Duarte but silence her out the debate on matters relating to gender power relations "nogal".
We take a particular exception to reference of Deputy General Secretary of ANC as fool of special type, we view this as not a characterisation but worst undermining and disrespect of women leader of the ANC, it boggles our minds and once again goes to insult the whole membership of the ANC that it can elect as its DGS such a fool to be its DGS.
Cde Jessie Duarte in her article raises critical issues relating to the manifest of patriarchal gender power relations in the workplace and in the broader struggle for women emancipation. In our view Cde Jim's response dismally fails to engage these substantive issues instead he degenerates into questioning the moral bona-fides of Cde Jessie and of course the usual cry of a conspiracy, we refuse again to degenerate to that level.