Mandla Mandela: Sexaul age of consent a Western notion

Three prominent gender rights organisations met with Mandla Mandela yesterday. This, after he made statements regarding South Africa’s sexual age of consent last year, saying that when it comes to culture, the sexual age of consent is a “white, Western notion.” He was specifically referring to the ukuthwala practice, where girls as young as 14-years-old are abducted and forcefully married to older men.

Here’s the full version of what he said:

The process of Ukuthwala had nothing to do with age and depended on whether the girl underwent the intonjane initiation, as arranged by her family. That is how culture works. When you are going to discuss culture do not even try to bring in white notions as such an approach will turn things upside down. Firstly, culture has no age. Age is something we learnt today because of our westernisation.

the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, the Commission for Gender Equality and the Rural Women’s Movement. They asked him to acknowledge section 3(1) of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act which states that all prospective spouses must be over the age of 18 to enter into a customary marriage. He was also asked to publicly condemn the abduction, kidnapping, assault and rape that currently accompany ukuthwala.

When put in context like that, the argument is more pro "kuthwala," than it is pro stautory rape. Dude has to realise though that as strongly as he wants to protect the culture, there's a vulture waiting to exploit a loophole in the law. It's there to protect children.

Like Mandla I'm surprised at how quickly these young things grow, but that don't make it right. Mandla is definately one of those guys that should look at this former Disney childstar hottie list

Maybe Mandla is like a coach that recognioses talent in it's raw form, you know, like how some guys have faith in a new sportsmen, and tell you to give him time.Mandla is that guy. Only he's watching Yo-Tv, picking the wheat from the chaff. Before you asy I'm writing some slanderous shit, please have a look at the mans track record...here

L.G