Editorial
Johannesburg - Entrepreneur and media personality Somizi Mhlongo finds himself muted and isolated this weekend, as some of his major employers moved to distance themselves for him in the wake of damaging allegations of domestic violence.
Mhlongo is involved in an acrimonious and increasingly public divorce with his husband Mohale Motaung. Motaung made allegations that, if true, could land Mhlongo in jail if he was convicted of them.
They must be investigated – as a matter of urgency – thoroughly and transparently, for they concern domestic abuse. This is as much a scourge in our society as gender-based violence. It continues to fester and rot the sinews of our society because of the toxic patriarchy that enables both.
It is the same prejudice that fuels the deep-seated homophobia that continues to bedevil much of our society, cutting across class, creed and colour. It provides an argument that somehow the allegations of assault – and even attempted murder – are somehow of less importance in a union between two men than in a marriage between a man and a woman. The argument is specious and dangerous. We are all equal before the law – and we all have the right to be equally protected.
If we are serious about rooting out the scourge of marital abuse, the law has to be applied fearlessly and uniformly. As importantly, society has to buy into the process. The question has to be asked about what would have happened if the genders of the parties were different.
Katlego Maboe gives us all the answers we need. Last year, his biggest client, Outsurance dropped him on the basis of the claims alone – and then took every one of his TV advertisements off air.
MetroFM and Idols SA can do no less to Mhlangu, not if they are serious about their community commitments.