EFF statement on the seven men who gang-raped a woman

6 October 2022

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is revolted that seven men (including a 17-year-old) ganged raped a 43-year- old woman overnight this past weekend in Middleburg Mpumalanga. The woman was walking home, when she was abducted by these vile men in a bakkie and forcefully transported to a room where they continuously gang raped her overnight. The next morning, the man owner of the room joined this desperately wicked act. Another woman in South Africa has had her humanity decapitated by men, she joins an endless lists of victims and survivors.

We are fast reaching a point where there will be no act of abuse and sexual violence that will shock us as a nation as we become more sedated by each horrific story. We have normalised the violence mounted on women in South Africa to a point where we have been desensitised to it. Every day we hear about these brutalities. We are assured that this will continue if our constitutional institutions continue to fail in meeting its mandate to prevent, investigate, prosecute, convict, sentence and provide correctional justice.

There is no need to dig deep into history to know the perpetual failures of the ANC Government in decisively addressing the onslaught of women. An easy example, Cyril Ramaphosa, a State President is accused of torturing a woman to cover up his high-level mafia activities. The South African Police Service (SAPS) and National Protecting Agency (NPA) have shelved the matter hoping it will be overshadowed by Eskom's rolling blackouts.

Then there is the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, who used his position of power and affluence to sexually assault a young woman who is a massage therapist at her workplace by forcing his filthy fingers into her vagina. The NPA decided not to prosecute, yet a case of sexual assault was opened by the victim in August. To date there is no explanation on its decision as our legislation allows the State to continue prosecuting even when the complainant withdraws. The NPA, led by Advocate Shamila Batohi who is expected to be knowledgeable of rape culture, in particular the culture of silencing victims via bribery, threats and even death decides to release sex pests to continue occupying a powerful position in Government thus creating a dangerous space for all women he encounters.

Added to this hopelessness, is the media with its selective headlining, investigations & bias reporting on the men who torture, rape and abuse women and children.

The all-out lawlessness and total depravity of the ANC Government is re-enacted by ordinary citizens who know that justice is bought cheaply, they know that the unceasing incompetence, failures, and political interference of our justice institutions can have them attending a funeral of a renowned thug than answer to their charges of crime. The men committed to perpetrating this brutal violence on women's bodies, minds and spirits

know that they will get away with it because the ANC government is run by violent misogynists. Therefore, it was unsurprising when the State President watched and even laughed as the Speaker of Parliament called in thugs to assault EFF women MPs who were doing their jobs in serving the citizens of this country as elected to.

We call on South Africans to end the decapitating of women by men by ending the ANC Government. It is a government that refuses to address the abnormal violent realties women face in South Africa. How can a country like ours have higher sexual violence statistics than countries in active war? The onslaught of women by men is firmly and deeply rooted in the ANC Government failures.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 6 October 2022