ANC women on their own, says Bathabile Dlamini

Minister of women in the presidency Bathabile Dlamini criticised patriarchy within the ANC on Thursday, saying women in the party were on their own.

Dlamini‚ also president of the ANC Women’s League‚ cautioned that the fate of women on the question of land ownership was being shaped through the discussions of men.

She was speaking at the department of rural development and land reform’s women and youth dialogue on land reform in Boksburg.

“We are learning every day and‚ yes‚ in the ANC we work with men‚ but the lesson we have learnt is that we are actually on our own.

“What I don’t like is that when women are defined‚ people want to say our issues are apolitical‚” she said.

“We come in‚ at the pleasure of the president‚ and we do the best for women so that when the country says ‘thank you’‚ you say to yourself, ‘I did my best’.”