Head of SABC being investigated for taking a wife as a gift

The head of South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is been investigated for accepting a wife as a gift.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was reportedly given a bride by traditional chiefs who were part of a cultural group asking for more programmes to be broadcast in the Venda language.

The government said the behavior was “regrettable” Mr. Motsoeneng is yet to comment.

The incident is said to have taken place during his recent visit to the northern Limpopo province where he and other SABC executives met the Venda lobby group, Mudzi wa Vherereli ha Vhavenda.

About 10 girls were paraded in front of him and he chose the one he liked, according to Humbelani Nemakonde from the Mudzi group.

“All the girls were there with their parents. Their parents knew what was going to happen and they all agreed.”

Mr. Motsoeneng was said to have chosen a 23-year old human resources management student who was pictured bare-breasted next to him. He is also alleged to have been given a cow and a calf.

However, the South African women’s ministry said it viewed the whole process as an abuse of cultural values.

“The use of women as gifts as if they were livestock is a serious regress and an insult to the gains of 20 years of democracy and freedom, particularly the contribution of women,” a statement from the ministry said.

The Commission for Gender Equality is also investigating the matter.

My Take:

It's funny the South Africa Women's ministry says giving a woman as a gift is likened to given away livestock and a serious regress and an insult to 20 years of democracy and freedom but surprisingly, these same ministry sees noting wrong in young adults girls been paraded before able-bodied men, bare-chested and almost nude. Isn't that funny.

If they see that as an acceptable culture, then they should also accept the people's culture of giving as gift their daughters, as wives to strangers.

The culture of the people allows him to take a wife as a gift and he did just that, and so what has he done wrong.

In some traditions, it is wrong to refuse a gift. He didn't take her as a concubine or maid but a wife. The parents of the girl wholeheartedly gave her to him. If she didn't want, she would have said no but she didn't.

She is 23-years old for crying out loud. She is an adult.

It’s almost certain he is likely to give her a better life than what the parents can do. What the South African Women’s ministry and the Commission for Gender Equality should be fighting for is, make sure she finishes her education and not fighting him for taking her as a wife unless if having two or more wives is a crime in South Africa and last time I checked, it wasn't.

Or do they want him to marry her legally? Fine, tell him to do so.