Maimane, DA unhappy with Motshekga ‘doubling down’ on rape comment

Maimane said Motshekga exhibited a lack of understanding about why rape and GBV was prevalent in South Africa.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Picture: GCIS

OneSA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has laughed off as a “joke” the statement released by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga following her remarks that “educated men won’t rape”, meanwhile the Democratic alliance has asked Motshekga to publicly retract and apologise for the comment.

Motshekga released a statement in response to outrage over her remarks made on Monday morning at the Prospectus High School in Tshwane.

She claims she was taken out of context as she was “only talking about education on gender-based violence”.

Maimane said Motshekga exhibited a lack of understanding about why rape and GBV was prevalent in South Africa.

The learners seemed to know more about the reality of these issues than the person who is paid to administer their education along with 13 million other learners.

The kids are all right, the education administration is holding them back from reaching their full potential.

— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) February 15, 2021

Meanwhile, the DA has called on the minister “to publicly retract and apologise” for her comments, saying they were “utterly inappropriate and careless as the pervasive crisis of rape in South Africa knows no social, economic or educational boundaries”.

“We have taken note of the statement released by the minister this afternoon in which she doubles down on her inappropriate comments. The minister’s statement is not enough, she must take ownership of what she said, apologise and retract her comments,” reads the statement.