Social media users outraged at Limpopo MEC’s ‘Close your Legs’ remark
Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba's statement 'open your books and close your legs" has sparked outrage on social media among various anti gender-based violence groups and political parties.
LIMPOPO – Various anti gender-based violence groups and political parties have called on the Limpopo MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba to apologise to female learners and the public in general following her remarks about how young girls should ‘open their books and close their legs’.
A video shared on social media shows a segment of Ramathuba’s speech during a school visit to Gwenane High School in Mogalakwena Municipality.
The MEC was said to have touched on many critical issues that hinders development and success of learners including teenage pregnancy and drug abuse and she encouraged learners who are 18 years and older to be vaccinated. During her visit she encouraged the female learners to chant the phrase: “Open your books and close your legs”.
Siviwe Gwarube, the Deputy Chief Whip of the DA said the MEC’s stance on sex education to young children is deeply problematic. “The MEC shifts responsibility to girl children to shoulder the burden of safe sex practices and rape culture. It’s rubbish.”
I suggest you watch the entire video it addresses the boy child,”blessers”/sugar daddies and empower the girl child to stay away material things.The fact is we tried to ask parents of 14yr old to open cases of rape and their response are”We know our in-laws they even paid damage”
— Dr Phophi Ramathuba (@PhophiRamathuba) January 12, 2022
Ramathuba responded on Twitter, by asking Gwarube to watch the entire video as she addressed “the boy child, ‘blessers’/sugar daddies” and empowered the girl child to stay away [from] material things.
“The fact is we tried to ask parents of 14 year old’s to open cases of rape and their response was ‘We know our in-laws they even paid damage’,” her tweet read.
Doctor Phophi Ramathuba who's also a MEC visited a school in Limpopo this morning telling the girls to close their legs and open their books.
ARE YOU SERIOUS? Is this sex education by our Goverment? Victim Blaming and pushing the narrative? This is disgusting.
@ANCWL_hq @MYANC pic.twitter.com/t2knd61TLS— Women For Change (@womenforchange5) January 12, 2022
Keep the Energy, an activism page on Instagram that sheds a spotlight on GBV crimes against women, children and LGBTQIA+ persons condemned Ramathuba’s remarks and called her words ‘victim blaming’.
In their post the organisation called on the MEC to apologise and to “educate herself on effective and appropriate sex education”.
I’d love to hear the part where you address the boy child, please do direct us to it, and ma’am it is 2022 this cannot still be the way a health MEC addresses teenage pregnancy when the stats in this country show a rife pattern of minor rape! Please, do better
— Kgomotso💪🏾💰MaDlamini👑 (@KetchupKgomotso) January 12, 2022
The province continues to have a high rate of teenage pregnancies with a total of 53 teenagers who gave birth over the Christmas and New Year period. The youngest was a 14-year-old mother from Mopani district.
Ramathuba continues to address the scourge of teenage pregnancies in Limpopo through various awareness campaigns.
