The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has taken action following the circulation of offensive comments made by renowned media personality, Kininonke “Kini” Shandu, who serves as the chairperson of the Sebenza Women Awards.
Shandu’s remarks, which suggested that marrying a woman with children born out of wedlock is embarrassing, have sparked outrage and prompted a thorough investigation into the matter.
Premier Dube-Ncube has expressed her concern after receiving numerous complaints from concerned women, activists, and professional groups regarding the derogatory comments made by Shandu on social media.
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In response, she has instructed the Office on the Status of Women to thoroughly investigate the complaints and claims made against Shandu.
Dube-Ncube emphasized the importance of engaging with all parties involved in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
“Critical to this process will be an engagement with the drafters of the correspondence and reaching out to those implicated in the correspondence to get a fuller picture,” she stated.
Furthermore, the premier condemned all forms of violence against women and vulnerable groups. While she acknowledges the constitutional right to freedom of expression and the right to dignity, she emphasizes that freedom of expression is not an absolute right and is subject to constitutional limitations.
Dube-Ncube aims to facilitate open and honest dialogue surrounding this issue as a means of addressing it and similar issues in the future. She urges all individuals implicated in the complaint, as well as others, to refrain from making statements on social media that could exacerbate the situation.
In response to the controversy, SMG uMhlanga and Oceans Mall have withdrawn their sponsorship of the Sebenza Women Awards. SMG uMhlanga stated that they no longer wish to be associated with Kininonke Shandu, the actor from the television drama series “Umkhokha.”
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