Chemical castration is being discussed, says Bathabile Dlamini at Ninow trial

African National Congress Women’s League (ANCYL) leader and former minister for women in the presidency Bathabile Dlamini attended the trial of self-confessed child rapist Nicholas Ninow on Wednesday.

Pretoria Rekord‘s Corné Van Zyl, who is covering the trial, reports that Dlamini said there were “ongoing discussions on chemical castration, life sentences, and bail refusal for rape perpetrators and sexual offenders”.

According to Jacaranda News, Dlamini also said the burden should be on Ninow to prove “beyond reasonable doubt”, that he was innocent, rather than on the state to prove his guilt.

Earlier on Wednesday, the media was instructed to wait outside the High Court in Pretoria as the eight-year-old girl who was raped in the bathroom by Nicholas Ninow gave her version of events on Wednesday. Members of the media are prohibited from publishing any evidence given by the victim.

The victim’s mother, who has since given testimony, will not be named, but her testimony will be covered by media.

Speaking at the funeral of the four children who were allegedly killed by hanging by Durban man Sibusiso Mpungose on Tuesday, Dlamini said that women in South Africa were treated as statistics and not as humans.

Mpungose was arrested on Wednesday after he went on the run from police.

Three of the children were Mpungose’s, while a 16-year-old girl was from his wife Xoli’s previous relationship. The other three children are aged four, six, and 10.

News24 reported that Dlamini said women had had it with the inhuman murders and gender-based violence, adding that when women called for the reinstatement of the death penalty, they were viewed as being cruel.

Dlamini said fathers at home had taught young men and normalised the cursing and swearing at women.

READ MORE: Media taken out of court in Nicholas Ninow case as victim takes stand

She was quoted as saying that women ended up finding violations to them as normal because fathers repeatedly “violate and apologise”.

“Men who rape our kids are not men, they are cowards,” Dlamini was quoted as saying.

Dlamini said women were being encouraged to speak out on abuse while men were the problem.

The ANC leader said men should also speak out and make it clear “what their problem is”.

Dlamini called for unity among women in the fight against gender-based violence and act against the scourge.

“Men must stand up and say ‘enough is enough’, not us,” she was quoted as saying.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Background reporting, Makhosandile Zulu.)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.