Hey girls - shut up and put up.
With Jacob Zuma's accuser being allegedly sent away into exile for being a naughty, HIV-positive girl and with the retrospect of Famous Naughty Girl/ Afghani female MP Malalai Joya's incredibly (in)humane treatment at the multiple back ends of numerous plastic bottles, one wonders seriously at the state of democracy in an increasingly gender-imbalanced world.
Both stories took place in/around the courtroom - i'm not even trying to gauge a symbolic meaning here in describing this area as the one rightful place that (judicial) decorum would exist.
All the South African media will supposedly hear from now on is how this is the latest in a long line of trials that poor Zuma has had to face in his 'life of struggle'. What kind of world is it when the integrity, dignity and whatever else-ity of a 'fine' (not corrupt) politician can take precedence over the issue of rape. Of course when he claims that it didn't happen, and everyone believes him. Perhaps what irritates me more, even if this is true, is the media statement that was released upon Zuma's acquittal, appropriately published on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website. He extends a different body part this time - namely his hands - to the women and organisations who demonstrated against him, and who he hopes will accept the court's ruling. The maddening politeness of his verse makes it sounds as if he had just been acquitted for something as banal as having been caught taking an icecream out of his accusers hand. All you who are against that kind of behaviour, sweet sorries. Why isn't there more coverage being given to the issues at hand - rape, which has been analogised to the peeling of onions - and which in turn throws up even more exasperation about this man's inane ideas about contraception and prevention - 'If you've been in the kitchen peeling onions, you clean your hands'.
In Joya's case, decorum literally got picked up and smacked in her face as women, too, turned upon her in response to her 'outspoken' attack on holy warriors/ former-and-current-courtroom warlords. (I wonder on one level if the males hadn't been so affronted by what Joya had said about these 'traitors', would the ladies really have reacted thus too? Finding it slightly supernatural in parallel universe situation for all the women in the court to have miraculously remained silent, supportive and strong - or maybe I'm overanalysing/ wishfully thinking). Pajhwok Afghan News reports that the 'hullabaloo' that Joya ignited 'also marred the decision scheduled on annual budget that the parliament has to pass soon'. Silly girl eh. Come on Joya - apparently there's more important things to be shouting the odds about, didn't you know that Kabul is like, so, like, last year.
Session adjourned.
