A comment made by Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, while addressing learners at a high school in Pretoria yesterday has sparked an uproar in the media surrounding the issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
While addressing the learners during a welcoming of re-opening of schools, Mostshekga prompted to educate the learners about GBV and commented that “an educated man won’t rape”.
The comment didn’t sit well with some learners and sparked an uproar in the media questioning whether or not Motshekga was fit enough to preserve her position as the Minister of Basic Education.
We urgently need a new minister of basic education.
Angie Motshegka exhibits a lack of understanding about how and why Rape and GBV occurs in South Africa.
She states “an educated man will not rape”. That is pure nonsense pic.twitter.com/BHdUbRWaKG
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) February 15, 2021
In a statement, Motshekga said that the comment was taken out of context and that she was merely educating the learners about GBV and develop them to become better people.
“Rape is indeed about power, hence the Department has programmes to educate the
boy child to appreciate the importance of how to deal with power relations between
men and women from a young age. Therefore, my remarks must not be taken out of
the context of educating children to develop them to become better people”.
Motshekga stated that she did not want to engage in a debate with the learners based on their responses to her comment as her purpose came from a position of encouraging learners to be educated about GBV and women abuse.
What Angie Motsekga said is not different from those people propounding "real men don't rape " phoenomem is it deeply rooted in stereotypes and "othering" congitive dissonance thus created. That's how society is polarized. It is a false dichotomy, rape is committed by all men
— Nkanyiso Ngqulunga (@Nkanyiso_ngqulu) February 15, 2021
So Angie Motshekga says an educated man won't rape. What kind of elitist BS is this, in a country with such problematic rape culture nogal? This lady keeps disappointing, shem.
— Sesi wo Ntimanyana (@Misaveni_) February 15, 2021
Motshekga further stated that men need to be educated about power, patriarchy and negative or toxic masculinity, and power relations which are also important in the fight against rape.
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Nou het ek wragtag als gehoor!
Not only is this woman highly incapable of improving education standards but she seriously lacks the acumen and tenacity and leadership skills to improve education.
This woman is not equipped to preach to pupils about such sensitive topics in an open forum let alone in the presence of intelligence young people.
Can I also address the fact about the gross inequality still existing in not only the physical state of schools on the Cape Flats and Township schools but the continuing low standards of delivering a sub-standard education system, further disenfranchising our young people still stuck in a stagnant Apartheid built vast shameful Cape Flats region with classes of 50-65+ in a class!
#genoegisgenoeg