Gender and development specialist, Sixolile Ngcobo, says the notion that women shouldn’t have been given equal rights to men are dangerous.
Ngcobo was weighing in on views shared by Siphesihle Ngxokwana on the YouTube’s ‘The Penuel Show’, discussing several topics, including feminism and mental health.
“ARE WOMEN CHILDREN?” – PENUEL THE BLACK PEN pic.twitter.com/PsFnumwaJ9
— THE PENUEL SHOW (@ThePenuelShow) September 10, 2024
Reflecting on feminism, Ngxokwana said it was a mistake giving women voting rights as they took advantage by demanding more. Here in South Africa during apartheid, women were generally regarded as minors under the guardianship of their father, husband or brother, as they were viewed as being incapable of owning or acquiring property. However, all that has now changed with the country’s equity laws, which advocate for equal treatment for all South Africans.
Ngcobo believes these laws are just.
She says Ngxokwana is perpetuating patriarchal views of the past, which is detrimental, especially in a country with a high number of GBV cases like South Africa. Researchers attribute patriarchal believes of male, heterosexual dominance and the devaluation of girls and women to be the root of the scourge.
Ngcobo has also dismissed the young woman’s assertions that mental health issues were never a thing within black communities but were only introduced through colonisation.
The expert says mental health problems existed pre-colonialism. The only difference is that indigenous communities had their own methods of dealing with it.
“Depression was not a thing for us black people,” 😳😳😳
God Penuel in conversation with Sihle, our very own Candace Owens 😂
Cassper Somizi Mihlali Malema Sjava Leeroy Ntsiki #PianoLove Capitec #SugarMamas Kamo Mphela Big Zulu pic.twitter.com/KrW2Tv9tux
— YaseBlock B 🇸🇿 (@ThisIsColbert) September 9, 2024
According to Ngcobo, the only thing colonialism did was to introduce labels and the right language regarding this illness.
Sadag board vice-chairperson and clinical psychologist, Zamo Mbele, has also weighed in.
Mbele says remarks like the ones shared in the video are a sign of how much apartheid and colonialism is internalised.
The clinical psychologist adds that when she hears black people express similar views around mental health it makes him sad because a lot of what they’re showing is how they have internalised the notion that their lives don’t matter even though they may say ‘Black Lives Matter’.
“They show us that according to them, they don’t really matter, and they only see themselves as a capsule or as a body without anything further and I feel very sad actually. Depression doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, age, background or religion – it can affect anyone, anywhere,” she says.
The conversation coincided with the marking of World Suicide Prevention Day, which is this year observed under the theme: “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” with the call to action: “Start the Conversation.”
According to Sadag, 23 cases of suicides are recorded a day in South Africa, with 230 serious attempts on record.
The 2024 gsport Hall of Fame luncheon saw the induction of the 19th legend into the organisation's list of prestigious female athletes. The annual event honours extraordinary women who have left an in-erasable mark in South African sport. This year’s luncheon carried special significance as it corresponded with the […]
