Women's Month

Restoring dignity in the Eastern Cape

After serving in South Africa’s National Assembly as a Member of Parliament (MP) and the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Shadow Minister for Higher Education, where she led the fight against corruption in the sector, King is now back in the province where she grew up.

“I served in this province as a teacher for many years, and as a local municipal councillor, so it is really nice to be back home and serve the people of the Eastern Cape as a Member of the Provincial Legislature,” King said.

The Eastern Cape is a province in South Africa governed by the African National Congress (ANC) and has been one of the ANC’s strongholds since the 1994 elections. However, the province is the poorest out of the nine others, with people flocking out of the province for better opportunities. King says things can be turned around.

“We have a province rich in natural resources, we have an abundance of skilled people; the only problem is the poor governance under the ANC administration,” she said.

The DA is the official opposition in the Eastern Cape. King, who is the shadow Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Human Settlements, said her legislative knowledge, together with the commitment of her colleagues, can help to give people their dignity back.

“I am fortunate to oversee the human settlements portfolio, a critical human rights and dignity issue, focusing on providing shelter and a sense of belonging. My goal is to ensure homeownership through title deeds and promote holistic development within the housing sector. This includes integrating socio-economic initiatives, such as building schools and economic hubs near residential areas, to minimise travel distances for employment and enhance community-centred living,” she said.

On what it means to be a woman in leadership and politics, King says she was voted in to be a voice for the voiceless.

“I represent the voice of the woman who cannot be represented within parliament or, in my case, in the legislature. We were voted in precisely to represent women so that we look at the issue of giving education, quality education for that matter, for women,” she said.

According to King, women are the most affected in South Africa and the broader society due to limited representation of women in leadership and politics.

“It is important for women to be represented within leadership roles to address the challenges that women face daily, such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality. When municipalities fail, when laws are not properly implemented, it is women that normally face the brunt of poor governance and poor implementation of policies and laws,” she said.

King says more opportunities must be created to empower women in South Africa. “With a country that has a large cohort of the female population, it is time that we change that role to get more women into leadership positions through skilling, training, and empowerment courses to get them to the level where they can also represent the next cohort of women.”

Thirty years into South Africa’s democracy, King says much work has been done to eradicate apartheid, but that the work must continue. “The women of 1956 showed us that if they stand together, a lot more can be achieved.

Through civil organisations working hand in hand with us as female MPs, much can be achieved within the sector of legislation and lawmaking, so that more people can benefit from the laws that will be developed, and that we have a holistic approach to ensure that our policies and budgeting are gender sensitive.

That’s where I come in as a female, to make sure that the next cohort of women gets a seat at the table, the next cohort of women is seen for who she is, and the next cohort of women can be the next president of this country, to give back that emotional justice, care, and love that we so need within society, and especially within South Africa.”