No less a person than one of the country’s prominent monarchs, the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has suggested castration as a punitive measure to alleviate rape culture in South Africa.
ADVERTISEMENT
Angry Zulu king calls for castration of rapists as one person is raped every 15 minutes
As rape and other sexual violence heighten in South Africa, leaders are considering drastic and draconian measures to curb the menace.
Angry Zulu king calls for castration of rapists as one person is raped every 15 minutes
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking to his subjects at a celebration on Tuesday, the king said: “This should be done in a way that would show the world that the Zulu nation does not tolerate this shame.”
The king’s worry follows a revelation by South African officials that over 41,000 people were raped in the country from April 2018, amounting to more than one rape every 15 minutes.
“Information shows that 41% of people raped in the country are children, and of these crimes only 4% are prosecuted. Why such a small percentage?
ADVERTISEMENT
“This means that people are not being prosecuted. There is something wrong somewhere in our country or the leadership,” he lamented.
According to the unhappy king, since circumcision is already part of the country’s culture, it would not be out of place to move a step further to castrate people who perpetrate rape of the vulnerable people.
He said: “Since we do circumcision, this time we have to go beyond (in cutting). We should do this as part of honouring King Shaka who made the laws, the nation and respect. We should restore respect”.
The Zulu king is not the only high-profile person to have raised a concern about the ever-increasing spate of rape in South Africa. Recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa described South Africa as one of “the most unsafe places in the world to be a woman”, adding: “There is a dark and heavy shadow across our land. Women and children are under siege.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Meanwhile, the Zulu king is hardly getting support from human rights activists for his castration call.
A gender activist, Nonhlanhla Skosana said the king’s suggestion will be an affront to the South African laws.
“injuring people or taking violent action against perpetrators would never solve the issue.
“If you read the Sexual Offence’s Act, even objects are also used, and by law that is classified as rape,” Skosana stated.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh