Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
ANC rejects Holomisa’s statement on gays and lesbians
MEDIA STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO INKOSI HOLOMISA
The Office of the ANC Chief Whip notes with great concern the recent utterances attributed to ANC MP Nkosi Patekile Holomisa where he has stated that “the ANC knows that the ‘great majority’ of South Africans do not want to promote or protect the rights of gays and lesbians.” The ANC Caucus distances itself from these views and would like it noted that at no stage has it considered debating this issue before Parliament.
The South African Constitution and its Bill of Rights remain the “cornerstone of democracy in South Africa” and Section 9 of the Constitution is viewed as one of the core values of the Constitution. It guarantees equality for everyone before the law and this equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. Our Constitution is clear that “the state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth”.
The ANC believes that any law which denies people the right to their sexual expressiondevalues them in our broader society and as such is an affront to their dignity and a breach of Section 9 of our Constitution.
We would also like to dispel a further accusation attributed to Nkosi Holomisa where he argued that some ANC MP’s were coerced to vote for the Protection of State Information Bill by Luthuli House. The Bill in question was discussed at the ANC Caucus meeting where it was unanimously supported by all ANC MPs.
The ANC’s key objective is the creation of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society and we will not deviate from this objective. The ANC Chief Whip, Dr Mathole Motshekga, will at his earliest convenience meet with Nkosi Holomisa for clarity regarding his media statements.
Statement issued by Mathole Motshekga, The Chief Whip of the Majority Party, Parliament of the Republic of SA, May 6 2012
