The Office of the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal confirms receipt of correspondence from concerned women, activists and professional groups decrying the use of denigrating language against women allegedly perpetrated by prominent male public commentators.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has instructed the Office on the Status of Women in the Office of the Premier to look into the correspondence and the allegations contained therein. Critical to this process, will be an engagement with the drafters of the correspondence and reaching out to those implicated in the correspondence in order to get a fuller picture.

The Premier strongly condemns acts of violence against women and vulnerable groups, irrespective of whether these manifests themselves through physical contact or through general impugnment of the dignity of women, as is alleged in this instance.

While the Premier is bound by the injunction of the Constitution to uphold and promote human rights, including freedom of expression and the right to dignity, the Premier is unequivocal in asserting that the freedom of expression is not an absolute right as it has Constitutional limitations.

As such the Premier subscribes to the Constitutional principles that the exercise of the right of freedom of expression, while it is fundamental, must be such that it does not infringe on the rights or cause harm to other individuals.

In addressing this complaint, the Office of the Premier will also seek to strike a balance between these rights.

To this end, the Office of the Premier seeks to foster frank and open dialogue as a means of addressing this and similar issues in the future.

In the interim, the Office of the Premier urges those implicated in this complaint and the general public to refrain from making reckless public statements that might worsen the situation.

The Office of the Premier continues to urge all members of society to unite in the fight against the scourge of GBV, whenever it raises its ugly and destructive head. It also calls on all peace-loving men and women to be vocal and vicious in their fight against GBV.

The Provincial Government has declared GBV as a pandemic which impedes prosperity and peace of women which must be confronted for 365 days a year.