Traditional Venda chiefs have given SABC acting chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng a cow, a calf, and a wife.
Women were lined up in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on Wednesday for Motsoeneng to choose one. He and other SABC executives were apparently in the area for a meeting with Mudzi wa Vhurereli ha Vhavenda (Mudzi), a lobby group of traditional leaders and healers.
"There were around 10 girls and they paraded for him to choose. He chose the one he liked," Mudzi executive secretary Humbelani Nemakonde was quoted in the Sowetan as saying. "All the girls were there with their parents. Their parents knew what was going to happen and they all agreed," he said.
Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand Insitute for Social and Economic Researcher (WiSER), Lisa Vetten was speechless when told of the gifting of a wife for Motsoeneng. "This is why we need a robust debate around culture, tradition and gender equality," she said. "We need to seriously ask the question about whether these practices reflect the spirit of the Constitution."
"This incident raises questions about how seriously we want to question traditional power," she said.
"Any tradition that sees women as objects to be traded or given away, where women aren't recognised as full autonomous beings, is incredibly problematic. And it is in such circumstances, where women aren't seen as full human beings, rather only objects to trade, where violence against women thrives," Vetten said.
The woman Motsoeneng chose was pictured in the Sowetan bare-breasted next to him. She is a 23-year-old human resources management student.
He received the gifts from Mudzi because he was "committed to his job and understands the strategic objectives of the SABC".
In February, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report which found Motsoeneng's appointment irregular. His salary increased from R1.5 million to R2.4m in one year. She found he misrepresented his qualifications, that he passed matric, to the SABC. - Additional reporting by SAPA
SABC COO gets woman as 'a gift'
Women were lined up in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on Wednesday for Motsoeneng to choose one. He and other SABC executives were apparently in the area for a meeting with Mudzi wa Vhurereli ha Vhavenda (Mudzi), a lobby group of traditional leaders and healers.
"There were around 10 girls and they paraded for him to choose. He chose the one he liked," Mudzi executive secretary Humbelani Nemakonde was quoted in the Sowetan as saying. "All the girls were there with their parents. Their parents knew what was going to happen and they all agreed," he said.
Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand Insitute for Social and Economic Researcher (WiSER), Lisa Vetten was speechless when told of the gifting of a wife for Motsoeneng. "This is why we need a robust debate around culture, tradition and gender equality," she said. "We need to seriously ask the question about whether these practices reflect the spirit of the Constitution."
"This incident raises questions about how seriously we want to question traditional power," she said.
"Any tradition that sees women as objects to be traded or given away, where women aren't recognised as full autonomous beings, is incredibly problematic. And it is in such circumstances, where women aren't seen as full human beings, rather only objects to trade, where violence against women thrives," Vetten said.
The woman Motsoeneng chose was pictured in the Sowetan bare-breasted next to him. She is a 23-year-old human resources management student.
He received the gifts from Mudzi because he was "committed to his job and understands the strategic objectives of the SABC".
In February, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela released a report which found Motsoeneng's appointment irregular. His salary increased from R1.5 million to R2.4m in one year. She found he misrepresented his qualifications, that he passed matric, to the SABC. - Additional reporting by SAPA
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