Mduduzi Manana: The ANC's selective morality scale

Reporter Laila Majiet doesn't think so. 

The ruling party has again been thrust into the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

Deputy education minister Mduduzi Manana has been accused of assaulting a woman at a popular restaurant in Fourways at the weekend.

The police ministry has confirmed a case was opened at the Douglasdale Police Station.

On Sunday night, images of a woman who was allegedly assaulted by Manana went viral on social media.

The pictures show the woman with a badly bruised eye, neck and knee.

Here's what I take issue with.

It is not the first time that a high ranking member of the ANC is implicated in a case of alleged wrongdoing perpetrated against a woman. 

History has taught us the following - the party is always ready with the press statement - saying all of the right things. 

The party condemns the acts, and speaks out against the offending member. And that's about it. 

Those who have been implicated - with strong evidence against them at times - remain within the ranks of the party.

In the most recent incident involving deputy higher education minister Mduduzi Manana - the seriousness of the claims warrant Manana's immediate suspension. If found guilty, his expulsion from the party, surely?

If this does not happen, what the ANC is essentially demonstrating is that it's good at spewing hot air.

If the ANC is truly serious about standing up against women abuse, it will remove the rot from within.  

President Jacob Zuma had been accused of rape. Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe had requested nudes from a presidential photographer. Former Western Cape ANC leader Marius Fransman had been accused of sexual harassment. ANC Youth League president Collen Maine had also been accused of shoving a roll of R200 notes down the breasts of a female journalist at a Rustenburg nightclub after the ANC's 104th birthday anniversary celebrations.

Now the case of Mduduzi Manana.

Some may argue that the allegations were merely that - allegations ending in not guilty verdicts at times. 

But as a woman I would always find it hard to belief that a woman could subject herself to such scrutiny, humiliation and negativity, for the mere sake of crying wolf or seeking attention. 

It is not enough for men to apologise for their actions and believe all will be right again. 

The ANC needs to and must take decisive action against the deputy minister.

The party must lead by example. 

Twitter seems to agree.

This Twitter user makes a very good point.

While an investigation must first be conducted, the authenticity of the audio recordings and visuals verified, the case against the deputy minister seems pretty strong.  

Yet the ANC makes no mention of possible action being taken against Manana.  

Compare this to instances where the party does act, seemingly very decisively -  ANC MP Makhosi Khoza, for one.

ANC leaders were quick to speak out against Khoza - many calling for her to be disciplined after she critisized the president in public. 

The same was done with Mondli Gungubele. He was told in no uncertain terms that his utterances against Zuma must stop. 

Former ANC MP, Vytjie Mentor, when speaking out against the Guptas and recounting the night she was called to Saxonwold, was dismissed as a person the president could not remember. 

The ruling party acts when it wants to. It is decisive and unambiguous when it wants to. 

But it is also harsh, ruthless and protective of its president.

And in the case of Mduduzi Manana, we as society, cannot let the ruling party get away, with acting in a way it wants to. 

Manana has all but confessed and apologised. Yet no arrest have been made. 

This is not the actions of a government that is sensitive to the realities of many women and children. 

The abuse must stop, and government must lead the way. The ruling party must play its part.