South Africa ANC Youth League spokesperson barred from entering venue of meeting because her dress was “too short”

ANC Youth League spokesperson Sizophila Mkhize on Sunday, alleged that she was barred from entering the venue of the ANC national executive committee lekgotla meeting because her dress was “too short”.

Mkhize, in a post on her Facebook page, said that she was blocked by an ANC staffer at the door and told to cover up.

The Sunday meeting in Irene, Pretoria, was called to draft the party’s plans for governance for the year ahead. But Mkhize, who posted a picture of her in her yellow and green dress, said she was told she could not enter the meeting because the dress was “too short”.

This is me, attending the ANC NEC Lekgotla, I’m told I can not attend the Lekgotla because the dress I’m wearing is too short. A staffer from the SG’s office stops me by the door and tells me to go look for ihiya ngibhince because OLD PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT SUCH A DRESS CODE! I’m told my dress is too short, a young woman from the Presidency was called to come and explain this nonsense to me and her explanation is “INKINGA UMEKAHLE AND THIS DRESS IKUKHIPHA IZINQA, MANJE THEY WILL COMPLAIN AND THEY’LL SHOUT AT ME FOR ALLOWING YOU IN WITH THIS DRESS”

I am not going to shrink to make men or anyone comfortable! I am not going to be bullied by anyone regardless of the office they come from. I refuse to be sexualized inside the ANC or wherever in the world! I’m a woman and you’ll give respect to my womanhood and my name!

She said she was not going to “shrink to make men or anyone comfortable”.

“I am not going to be bullied by anyone regardless of the office they come from. I refuse to be sexualised inside the ANC or whoever in the world! I’m a woman and you’ll give respect to my womanhood and my name,” she said.

She was eventually allowed into the venue.