Rape in Post Apartheid South Africa

Pinelands, Shame, if this is such a bad place to live go back. Oh, but maybe you can't..........., lol. All the very best to you.

LOL this is a website so do you want me to upload all my private details to proof to you that I am South African or Do you want my ID number...LOL.Let me make it clear to you Danitati my work brought me here. I would rather die in my own country then admit I am lucky to live in Qatar...Qatar should be lucky to have me working here. Also let me add I have gone through more stress in Qatar in the two years I have been here then what I have been my entire life in Cape Town.

Pinelands, if you say "I am a proud South African", why does your profile say Portugal. Well, I grow up in South Africa and have their passport, but I am still a proud Portuguese. The arical about the rapes, was very true, maybe you sould try and live in RSA now and tell me how safe you feel. We "South Africans" have all left for a good reason. Yes, I to love South Africa and wanted to make it my childrens home for their future, but why put them through that. And let me tell you I was one of the white "South African's" that voted for the ANC in 1994 for Mandela. So please don't get so huffy about the subject and just let people have their say, cause in the end you know what its like to live in SA. And we should feel so very luck to live Qatar and feel safe everyday.

Ok guys, breathe in, breathe out.... there are interesting comments from everyone here, which is why this is a great site. True, there are more rapes reported to have occurred since apartheid was abolished, true, there could be more being actually reported as opposed to increase in the number or rapes as Winn stated; Also we have to consider that with all this new technology, information is more attainable than back then; true, cultural and racial myths and beliefs have been cited as reasons, true, Zuma was acquitted but then again so was OJ Simpson, true,Jacob Zuma was voted in as president by the people. you have to admit, that to a certain extent he is a dynamic leader and an icon to the masses, but then again, so was Adolf Hitler, Stalin and many other leaders that were responsible for genocide and other atrocities. They appealed to the middle and lower social classes, the illiterate,and in particular, the youth with promises of a great future which they so innocently believe because they came from the same background and they could relate to them. What a pity, that he dances around on stage singing "bring me my machine gun" and advocating taking a shower instead of using a condom when he rapes.. sorry, has consensual sexual intercourse with his friends' daughter,or has corruption charges dropped because of technicalities, he should be setting an example to the youth and the people who voted him in. He is supposed to represent his country, his people, what they believe in, what they hope for for their children and grandchildren.. holy cow, have we really lowered our standards that much? Oh by the way, I AM a South African and I am a statistic of violent crime and sexual assault during the '76 Soweto uprising AND 2004 "New regime" so I DO know what I am talking about.

Has anyone seen the high incident of rape in the CONGO, Now that was shocking.

It amazes me how so many people that hardly know anything other than reading newspaper articles can have so much to say about South Africa.

Gypsy I suggest you get your facts straight before raising you opinions.

I have to agree with pinelands you don't have a clue.

Have to agree with you whole heartedly.

Yes, I was simply referring to the rape as an act of war...Just sort of talking to myself more then anything. :P

late response, but I don't believe women are being regarded as the "enemy".

Women are being regarded as chattel and objects for sexual gratification whenever the need arises.

Read in papers, heard from other South Africans. Doesn't take much to question it, he's hardly a "shining star"

gyspy i would like to know where you read that. He said himself he had sex with the woman but if he raped her who knows...The victim was proven to be a pschycological liar since she did this a couple of times to other guys prior to Zuma..

...more of a psychological disorfer related to the personality rather than related to race. Same applies for other negative human traits.

So you actually think he didn't do it? From what I've read he bought his "acquittal"

Gypsy what I stated is get your facts right the girl was not sixteen and yes I don't agree on what he did but look up the meaning of acquitted in the dictionary. I don't agree with Zuma being elected president..but the people elected him as president. there is way more facts behind the zuma issue then you can imagine. So my suggestion is don't make statement if you don't know all the facts.

Labda I had my coffee don't worry.

labda, my comment is not particular tp South Africa, what i meant just liek end of apartheid has resulted in more problems (atleast in some araes) for its population, same happened with many countries that got independence from colonial rule. THe new rulers were local but inept and at times more brutal and often more corrupt than foreign rulers.

sorry happy happy that was meant for hapy. So many happy people on QL, I get confused :)

The new rulers are corrupt for sure, but I don't think that's related to their skin colour.

Yes, labda, there are plenty of white South Africans.

Salam

happy "The new breed of rulers may have the saem colour as the subjects, but are more inept". Huh? There are white South Africans as well as other races. More "inept"??? Kindly expound.

Duplicate

Salam

South Africa....

Study cited by BBC says that rape has increased and not teh reporting. It also show that independance/end of apartheid does not necessarily mean freedom or empowerment, rather it may be quite the opposite. The new breed of rulers may have the saem colour as the subjects, but are more inept.

Its not about black people being bad, but about poor governance and unwillingness of ruling elite to quash the African myths.

Many of those women cannot seek post-rape medical and psychological support, they would choose to leave their families and communities to stay secluded in a very bad health condition until they've either given birth (if they became pregnant) or died, whichever comes first.

Salam

How "what" went from white people to women ??

It's interesting to see how it went from the white people being the enemy to women being the enemy.

You have a point. The other major factor is that due to social pressures, most women / children do not report rape because they are afraid of the consequences..

The huge concern isn't only about the rape crime, but in the aftermath of this savage act aggravated by banning subsequent abortion, stigmatizing the victims and denying them the right to report the perpetrator(s), simply because the legal system is not strengthened to restore those women's rights and punish the perverts.

Gang rape is used as weapon just as genocide is used against certain race or nation.

Salam

Female role stereotypes as applicable to you and Gypsy..

Females are passive, submissive, and inferior.

Females say no, but really mean yes.

Females dress in a way to announce their sexuality and availability.

I think it's more of a matter of the issue only coming out now after apartheid. The white government probably didn't pay too much attention to the black rape rates when they were in power.

To look it at from a different angle, couldnt it be that rapes are being increasingly 'reported'? I mean couldnt it mean that more cases are being reported (as opposed to being suppressed)and more studies are being done compared to the apartheid era?

Should say its still appalling.

Gypsy, LOL!

britexpat, it also addresses rape as a weapon of war. I really wanted to highlight the fact that this really shouldnt be made into a black versus white thing - for the sake of peace :)

I do now see that it's bigger than apartheid, yes. And in that case, there are a lot of examples from history that SA can take a leaf from and change the status quo. I agree with Gypsy though, having Zuma doesn't set much of a good example does it? The slightest hint of sexual impropriety would disqualify most aspiring politicians in many countries. The fact that Zuma seems to be sailed through to the top position, says a lot about the prevailing attitudes in that society. (Im just going to get my bullet-proof vest now, in case pinelands comes back) :)

LOL. DO IT!

double..

Good reading - Thanks..

Whilst it applies to the the days of slavery, It confirms some of the stuff in the other articles also - mainly that Women are viewed as Property / chattel to be used as and when needed.

It also shows that sexual violence can also be sttributed to deep rooted sexism.

Given the above, do you not think that apartheid is not the major factor here..

Gypsy...oh yes...I might do a Khalid the Tiger and paste it all over the place :)

Good site Labda. Interesting information for quite a few topics on this site. :P

"Looking at sexual violence through a historical perspective can help us understand the impact of systematic oppression and the importance of social change" http://www.sacnwga.org/history%20of%20sexual%20violence.htm

Really good article, just googled it.

It's not rubbish pinelands, perhaps you should read up on your own Presidents before electing them:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jaZN5FSMmffU94xtdmVLJJVwYKrA

"President Jacob Zuma, a proud polygamist with three wives, was acquitted of rape in 2006, but only after he acknowledged having unprotected sex with the HIV-positive daughter of a family friend."

I googled this topic and quickly read a few articles..It's strange that there are a few thinbgs at play here.. Chief amongst them is the thought that "Rape is an expression of male sexual entitlement," (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-07-09-in-south-africa-rape-is-linked-to-manhood)

Also, there are myths that having sex with a child can cure aids and get rid of demons etc.

The startling thing is that nearly 1/4 of males have admitted to an act of rape.. Surely this means that something serious is wrong and we all need to work together to address this issue..

pinelands, I know the feeling Im black too. We're just trying to understand what's happening. Respectfully. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion - have your cuppa first though :)

sorry labda did not have my coffee yet and I hate it that a certain race is always singled out in SA if things go wrong instead of the Goverment. Yes African in SA means "black people" labda so they creating the fear of people being scared of certain races which is wrong

Gypsy before making statements that is incorrect get you facts straight. If you not South African how do you know SA need a strong leader....lol..How strong should he be. Also know President in SA raped a 15 year old where to you get your rubbish from. The President don't run the Country the Goverment does he only have executive powers etc.. That is why they sacked Mbeki. The Ruling Party runs the Country.

geezus pineland, will you relax??! Have I called SA's sick?

britexpat...I read the article...interesting perspective. But why do they have to generalise. Its a study on SA and then they say..."It's rooted in an African ideal of manhood.""

labda yes we are so sick that is why we hosting the Football World Cup 2010. I am a Proud South African and ae glad to have found out that I am Brutal and allow the past to dictate my future...lol if this was the case RSA would not be where it is today.. Yes I agree with you their is some sick people in SA (with a population of 46mill you will have social inbalance) but we do have civilised people living there aswell.

pinelands, I think there are ripple effects of that era that affect all races and I agree it's wrong to single out black men. However, I don't think the article praises the apartheid era: it is A source of what has driven some men to rape (IMO).

What's really sicking is the rise in INFANT rape in Africa, especially areas with high AIDS rates.

Pinelands I don't think anyone is praising apartheid, I think most people assumed when apartheid ended in South Africa that everything would be hunky dory, nobody predicted the high levels of violent crime that would come about. South Africa needs some strong leaders now, not Presidents who have raped 15 year old girls themselves.

The reason i asked is that I recalled reading an article, which i dug ot. it states :

"Professor Rachel Jewkes of the MRC, who carried out the research, said: "We have a very, very high prevalence of rape in South Africa. I think it is down to ideas about masculinity based on gender hierarchy and the sexual entitlement of men. It's rooted in an African ideal of manhood.""

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/17/south-africa-rape-survey

Theer are si,ilar stories regarding child rape etc.. So, i would argue that whilst some rapes may because of anger, it is more to do with the male psyche in the country.

let me guess only black people rape since they are not oppressed anymore... if you know the sensitivity of this forum you would know what I am talking about "it did not occur to that extent in apartheid era coz they were oppressed by white men themselves". Yes rape is high in RSA and I think the goverment should do more to combat this problem...but please remember all races commit crimes not just black people. I myself was a victim of the apartheid era and I think it is wrong to praise this era.

Britexpat, it has a lot to do with it. It shows a damaged, damaged society filled with men who are allowing their past to dictate their present. Did you see the atrocities committed during the period when xenophobia was high? Yet another example of a society well ahead economically but highly brutal in many other respects.

What has the anger and bitterness got to do with rape ??

The apartheid is over. Not the anger and bitterness.

Rape statistics are appalling. The International Women's Day has been shedding light, awareness and campaigning against violence and atrocities committed against women and children.

Violence Against Women, Facts and Figures:

http://www.unifem.org/attachments/gender_issues/violence_against_women/facts_figures_violence_against_women_2007.pdf

Rape Statistics Worldwide:

http://www.rape.co.za/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=875

International Women's Day:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/theme/

Salam