Former Mayor Thulane Mkhonto did not see it coming, when he thought everything was under control after he recently posted “life is like being raped: if you cant fight it, just enjoy it, on his social media platform Facebook. Mkhonto is being summoned by the DPM Themba Masuku and is expected to report to his office tommorow afternoon.
Even though he apologized to the facebookers and the Nation, still it didn’t sit well to the rape survivors and families who said the post is inhuman to an extent that he is supporting rapist and that they have done well with their actions. Masuku has descrined Mkhonto’s post as insensitive statement.
In a press statement Masuku the DPM said such things has a high degree of irriesponsibility and were count reproductive which has no place in our world.
He stated that his office had the mandate to address cases of any form of abuse and had laws aimed on protecting the Nation from such. “Rape is a very serious and traumatic experience which can never be trivialised or turned into a joke. Mr. Mkhonto this coming Monday afternoon at the DPMO to appreciate his position and intentions,” Masuku said.
Masuku also added and said: “I am certain hereafter he will become one of our anti-rape advocates and speak out against such despicable acts. I further encourage the Kingdom to speak out and report rape and domestic violence cases as no one is supposed to be violated.”
Mkhonto’s employer, the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC), issued a statement immediately after Mkhonto attracted social media bashing wherein the company noted with deep regret the publication of the Facebook post by its employee.
According to other the publications in the Kingdom, the company said the post had the effect and its encouragous on the impact of rape. “We would like to assure all our valued stakeholders and the public at large that the issue is being dealt with in accordance with internal policies,” the Corporation said. Rape culture and cyber-bullying are dominating the spaces of students at higher-education institutions find themselves in.
Last September, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, held a dialogue in an effort to unpack the causes and solutions to the challenges of rape culture and cyber-bullying at universities.
Giving a feminist perspective‚ Mandisa Khanyile‚ who formed part of the national #TotalShutDown steering committee‚ said people tended to lack responsibility for what they say online because they had a sense of safety behind the screens of their mobile phones.
“They think they can do whatever they want. People’s lives are ruined when we think we can make jokes about them or shame them. We need to develop a culture that respects people’s dignity‚ privacy‚ their sexuality and decisions.
People have made it okay to bully others because they can‚“ Khanyile was quoted saying by TimesLive. “Social media is an unregulated space‚ and that should stop. We should find a middle ground,” she said he should’ve known better
