The Times Sunday
newspaper columnist who wrote that battered women only had themselves to blame
when they were attacked has been criticised by a leading Swaziland human rights
organisation.
Qalakaliboli Dlamini had written this week (9 December
2012) that women abuse men more than the other way around.
Dlamini had also written that the serial killer David Simelane, recently sentenced to hang for the murder of 32 women, might have been driven
to the crimes because he was once falsely accused of rape by a woman.
Dlamini was the centre of attention at a commemoration of
International Human Rights Day held in Swaziland yesterday (10 December 2012).
His was criticised by Coordinating Assembly for Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO)
Director Emmanuel Ndlangamandla who said Dlamini’s comments were ‘unacceptable’.
Ndlangamandla told the meeting in the Swazi capital Mbabane, ‘To say that women are the worst abusers is unacceptable. We are calling this Qalakaliboli to order. Gender Based Violence is common in the country. Each day, we read newspaper headlines with shock.
Ndlangamandla told the meeting in the Swazi capital Mbabane, ‘To say that women are the worst abusers is unacceptable. We are calling this Qalakaliboli to order. Gender Based Violence is common in the country. Each day, we read newspaper headlines with shock.
‘Today we read with shock about men who had sex with a
nine-year old. This could be your child or it could be mine, Ndlangamandla
said.
Dlamini refused to comment to newspaper reporters about
the criticism, saying he wanted to receive a formal statement from CANGO before
he did so.
Martin Dlamini, managing editor of the Times of Swaziland group that published Qalakaliboli
Dlamini’s article, told the meeting the newspapers supported gender equality.
He did not say whether action would be taken against Qalakaliboli
Dlamini.
In May 2012 Qalakaliboli Dlamini was suspended by his
newspaper after he wrote in his column that he hated homosexuals and he was proudly homophobic.
Director of Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA)
Cebile Manzini told the meeting that misogyny - the hatred of women - was the
main perpetrator of gender based violence.
She said, ‘Some men express fear, disgust and hatred of
women, often in the way of undermining the human rights violations of women and
claiming that women are making much ado about nothing.’
See also
‘TIMES’ SAYS BATTERED WOMEN TO BLAME
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