Black men always play unfair game of abuse of power in so many ways

The late bell hooks posits that “Love cannot coexist with domination.”

More than ever before, I am convinced that men hate women, especially black women. What I term an unfair dismissal of the esteemed, morally upright and arguably one female leader who restored some sense of credibility in the SABC newsroom was a testament to that.

Once again, patriarchy has triumphed. A crucial part of what is supposed to be an independent state-owned enterprise is marred with political interference. But, the core of this writing focuses on how black men (in politics and everywhere) always want to play an unfair game of abuse of power. As men, if we are not abusing our physical power, we are abusing our political and leadership power. Abuse is at the centre of what we do.

When Phathiswa Magopeni refused to wear the patriarchal mask and bury her emotional and moral self where we cannot find them, others saw it fit to dismiss her. I think a written warning should have sufficed as punishment for what she was found guilty of.

However, they had to dismiss her and cancel her completely. Her dismal makes me angry. It is not just about her being dethroned. It is a silent, yet very loud message that is sent that deafens me.

Many will argue the legality of the matter and go as far as vindicating the decision of the SABC board. But to board on this SABC titanic that is captained by the board is suicidal. Sadly, this time around, it sinks the credibility of the public broadcaster even deeper and it shows how entrenched patriarchy is at the SABC leadership.

Again, hooks hit the nail on the head when she said: “More than ever before in our nation's history, females are encouraged to assume the patriarchal mask and bury their emotional selves as deeply as their male counterparts do. Females embrace this paradigm because they feel it is better to be a dominator than to be dominated.”

The SABC board has a fair representation of women, but they are the same women that are described by Hooks as having assumed the patriarchal makes and buried themselves. You would expect them to use this opportunity to support fellow women who evidently are under attack. Again they assert the notion that says “Gatekeepers of patriarchy are mostly women who are in power.”

This development at the SABC couldn’t have been more accurate.

Magopeni might have been found guilty of misconduct, however, I still do not think that her sentencing was going to be so harsh if she were a man, a black, politically connected man. If anything, they were going to look the other way around. Such is the rot in our political leadership.

The former SABC editor-in-chief and head of news is a heroine to many of us. After her appointment, I went back to watch the SABC news, started believing their slogan: “Independent and Impartial.”

But evidently, the SABC board couldn’t be partisan on the Magopeni matter. In her recent Facebook post dedicated to her late father, Magopeni wrote: “You taught me to repel injustice.”

It is comforting to know that she still has a fighting spirit in her. It is so refreshing that she is not willing to go down without a fight. Even if she doesn’t win this case, history has a way of absolving people on the right side of justice.

We may not have her again as the boss of the SABC newsroom, but it was great when she was around. I hope that the many women in leadership positions are aware of how women are mistreated as they climb the ladder. It is a shame that we live in a society that is intimidated and threatened by principled and honourable women.

Former US president Barack Obama once said: “This is an extraordinary time to be a woman… We shouldn’t downplay how far we’ve come. That would do a disservice to all those who spent their lives fighting for justice. At the same time, there’s still a lot of work that must be done to improve the prospects of women and girls here and around the world.”

Magopeni remains an extraordinary woman who is faced with an extraordinary situation. Nevertheless, as a country, particularly the media fraternity, we should never stop fighting for independent newsrooms.

Above all, I hope as South African men, we reflect on the hate we have for black women. Because if we loved them, we wouldn’t want to dominate them and overthrow them.