Are you 'big' enough, Mr President?

well done to that letter it is a great way of being optimistic about SOuth African future.

It is good that Preggs has not lost focus and believes that gender equality is superior than other issues in our land. I would be accussed of chauvinism if I say that hoisting women solves problem of unemployment, service delivery, education (given that teachers are majority at school)and crime. Instead of dividin or polarising men on the issue we should be looking at partnership and unity among our people. Reverse discrimination or preferential treatment will create more anger on the side of men as it is somewhat evident in their utterances. We need a leader in President Zuma who will sensitive to gender issues rather than women issues. Gender is created equal - men and women. To grant shield to a woman who was part of conspiracy against alone shall be disastrous. All women and people of South Africa need protection. The president should send that message to everybody interested in living in South Africa. I am perturbed by people who can read the minds of the people and make invalid accussations. When describing the situation regarding Zuma and the woman who accused him of rape,Preggs fondly uses the word "regarding" which in my view is a private, mental, metaphysical process of labelling. If the woman's regards stands and so is Zuma's regarding the woman as sexual partner.

But I agree with the majority of what Preggs says to warn and send a positive message to the president. Zuma listens even if people disagree with him. Zille referred to Zuma by names: the president-to-be kept quiet. It will totally unfair to have him answering for the things that took place during campaign. Julius Malema should learn to treat women with respect rather than holding Zuma accountable for something he did not do. It is unfair on the man to be answering for all of us. Preggs, you have missed the point in this one. Zille disclosed private matters when she said Malema is a boy. I guess Zille was correct. I believe she should not have followed Malema if she was not interested in trivial racist and sexist debacles. Lets us build a new South Africa based on what we and our parents struggled for. There is a responsible way of promoting gender activism. Preggs, you have misconstrued your role as gender activist. You should remain neutral unless you are a women activist.

cue applause

Colleen Lowe Morna seemed to be still a victim of Zuma phobia, which is sad for a seemingly sensible individual like her. Zuma has been voted overwhelmingly into the position that he will occupy tomorrow, the highest office in the land. For Colleen to claim that she is shocked that she made it to the guest list because she rates herself as one of Zuma's vocal critic is an overestimation of one's importance which in fact borders on arrogance. Being a critic of a political leader is not equivalent to being an enemy --- you are a gender activist and that is your responsibility to be critical if you are of the opinion that the political leader in question is an antithesis of the values that you uphold.
However, I do believe that it is also important that you do not impose those values as this then will of course lead to conflict. It is also important that you also deal with fact and avoid pandering perception and disguise them as truth. Unfortunately your article is riddled with innuendos and prejudiced views, which is sad.
I will just point out the few.
1. Usage of the "Big Man" title, in addressing Zuma,a term associated with the rise of tyrannical leaders in Africa from late 60s' till early 90s, is insulting to Zuma as a person. However I do think that by now he is used to such slander. However I do think that it is a slap in the face to the thousands of supporters of ANC who voted Zuma to be the President in Polokwane. It is also as if you are questioning the sanity of more than 12 million South African who voted for Zuma on the 22 April.
2. You seem to be crediting the former President of ANC for appointing more women into position of power instead of acknowledging that this the ANC policy. I am not sure of what you are trying to prove when you back this with a quote from Mlambo-Ngcuka. My response to that is that please check your facts --- ANC has a structure called a Women's League --- this is the structure that has to be consulted when decision on women leadership has to be decided. this is aimed at avoiding women leaders who are for hire with no mandate from their respective structures.
3. You question Zuma's choice in regard to his lifestyle, that is being a polygamist. Please --- check the constitution of the country and stop imposing your values. I note that you have hinted in this "letter" that polygamy is a violation of a Constitution that has gender equality as one of its cornerstone ---. All I can say is that we are in interesting times as the question is, if we now target polygmists, will gays be next? Will Muslims be next? Will traditional healers be next?
4. You point out the issue of Zille/Malema and accuse Malema of being sexist and racist. All I can say is that selective amnesia can be a dangerous thing. Do you remember Zille referring to Malema as "inkwenkwe"? Do you understand what does this mean to a proud African man?

My last point is please do not confuse the genorosity of JG Zuma as his weakness. They did not name him Gedl'eyihlekisa for nothing.

Regards

Nhlanhla Ngubane

Having trawled through this rubbish, I'm suddenly a lot more positive about a Zuma presidency. Mbeki did well with appointing women on the basis that they were womem? I'm not so sure many people dealing with departments of health, communications, home affairs or education would agree.

Lorna,

I do not believe that you are fair, most of your comments and questions which you are asking are subjective. To mention just one, polygamy is widespread, do you also suppose that the Zulu King is in breach of the constitution? If you have got issues with Zuma as a person you would do much justice by adressing him in person not waht you are doing here. If I can ask you a question, who organized the permanent residency for Kwezi, was it Zuma? I do not believe you can answer yes,

Please make sure that you are not too judgemental on the part of Zuma and allow him to show what he has got.

Hi Mona(jealous)
Your selective feminism is clouding yr thinking. Nxamalala was never found guilty of rape. plz respect other peoples customs and the rule of law. FYI: This is not europe(is afrika) and polygamy(Isithembu) is accepted. Zuma's wives were never compelled to marry him. ANC practises gender equality(50-50 mama, nothing to do with Zuma but ANC!!!) not the same can be said about DA and it's leader. Please preach your Gender Machinery and Gender Equality were is required not were is practised...

You are making afundamental mistake: Everything must be judged by YOUR standards, YOUR values, YOUR culture, YOUR language, YOUR everything. That is called prejudice, and in our context such people are almost always racist, and they always deny it. If u don't undestand something/someone/some environment/sociocultural setting , u shut up not arrogantly and disparagingly judge, posing as a so called, women's rights activist.

Bobo
It is absolutely imperative that our public servants are answerable to and are held accountable by the public. It is a cornerstone of democracy: noone is above public scrutiny. These people have chosen to put themselves on the public stage, and their actions and opinions are of keen public interest. I think that Colleen Lowe Morna has asked some very important and inciteful questions that beg answering particularly with regards the president elect's attitude to gender equality and the role of women in our country in general.

Colleen could not have chosen a better time to raise these pertinent qustions, i fully identify with her ambivalent position in this matter and i think it is very disingenous and hypocritical to accuse her of subjective ramblings, Bobo stance fails to take into account the grotesque injustices meted out against women in general not necessarily on the Zuma issu, and also the capacity from which Collen is writing.Open letters seems to have a better impact in our political arena this days, as far as i remember, only Kgalema raised concerns about this communication channel, why is it suddenly inappropriate when it is used by Colleen in clamour of gender parity?

As regards to women representation, I would also look to Lithuania, where the government is formed by women primarily!

Women representation in the parliament is not all. Knowing the basics of the party politics, the most important in any democratic is not the legislative, but the executive.
We need to have female top administrators and ministers, not so much about representatives in the parliament as legislation is drafted primarily within the ministries.

Colleen, Like Zapiro, your hatred for JZ clouds your vision. Open your eyes and ears. The people of SA have spoken and have agreed that JZ is their president. You forget our noble ideals (innocent till proven by court of law) and want to impose your thinking/beliefs on us. The exile of the rape victim was never imposed by JZ, but self-imposed. Get off that bandwagon before it collides. Can you smell coffee?

When is Helen Zille going to receive a letter regarding her choice of cabinet for the Western cape?

It's interesting to hear that there are still people who holds on to their gun in defence of Justice and fairness. This is a rare kind of opinion after 2009 election.

Our president, indeed, needs to be questioned, right now, about his double standards. He speakes of culture of toletance, but failed to call his comrade in MK to other when they threaten Hellen Zile for trying to have charges against Zuma back.

He attacked political analyst for holding a deferent views to the masses who voted him.

I hope promises made are not just rhetoric but a commitment to make the country work.

First of all I hope that mthoko mkhize, who questioned when Helen Zille would receive a similiar letter regarding her choice of cabinet for the Western cape, will have seen today's issue of The Star in which such a letter, written by Colleen Lowe Morna's colleague Kubi Rama, appears.

I don't see such letters as Lowe Morna's or others) as reflecting "hatred" or "Zuma phobia" as some of the comments suggest. Rather they throw up a challenge to leaders to be better, deliver more, and provide the kind of leadership the nation wants. Likewise, to label someone who questions a cultural practice a racist is not fair. Questioning - leaders, culture, the status quo - is what makes a healthy and strong democracy; when the questioning stops, so does development. In fact, I find the fact that Colleen Lowe Morna, despite being a vocal critic, was invited to the inauguration heartening. Perhaps this is a sign that the new President is up to these kinds of debates and challenges, and welcomes perspectives from all corners? In that case, perhaps some of his supporters who have commented previously, simplistically labeling Colleen Lowe Morna as “arrogant” ought to follow his lead and realise we can all sit at the same table to hear each other out. While it remains to be seen how Zuma will fare on gender equality, how will he ever know what people expect, if no one writes or speaks about it ? Suggesting that such critiques should not even be voiced is not helpful, to the country, to the President, or anyone.