SABC 1: Uzalo 28/11/2018

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Name of the monitor: Sakhile Dube
Name of Television station: SABC 1
Name of programme: Uzalo
Date of broadcast: 28 November 2018
Time: 20:30-21:00
Clip Timing 20:28 – 21:47
Genre: Drama Series
Theme: Legal, land compensation, women participation in land discussions
GBV focus explicit or implicit? Implicit, these scene highlights issues of gender biases and gender discrimination.
Gem Classification: Gender Aware
Provide a link: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=uzalo+27+november+2018

Brief description of scene:
Following her dream of obtaining the family land from a white farmer Nosipho, with her uncle Mkhonto, invites a lawyer to discuss the issue of land compensation. However, both seem to not understand how difficult the process would be.

Context
The scene highlights the issue of land in South Africa where there are few female voices in discussions concerning women’s rights in, access to, and control over land and property. Women and female headed households disproportionally lack security in the properties they live in because of cultural and customary practices and these practices often exist in parallel with statutory laws. The policies that support women’s rights to land, property and housing are there in paper are often not a reality and not represented in media. This scene attempts to bring a female voice into the land discussion.

This scene is gender aware because a woman participates in the land discussion where culturally, religiously and customarily women are often excluded from this space. The title is related to this scene as a woman drives the issue of land compensation and the family is determined to assist her to get their ancestral land back. This scene does not have a GBV focus but speaks to the issues of discrimination against women in accessing land, housing and property which is a determining factor in women’s living conditions especially in rural communities.

Both women and men speak in this scene, and the woman’s viewpoints are solution-oriented. This scene does not include any sexist language or reference to GBV. A woman’s participation in the land discussion challenges a common stereotype that women are not involved in discussions concerning land ownership.

This scene does not belittle women or portray them as inferior but rather supports their views regarding participation in land discussions. Both men and women’s viewpoints are heard and there is a reasonable balance of viewpoints.

Property discussions, issues and title deeds are usually left in the hands of men. This scene challenges patriarchy, along with cultural customary practices that exclude women from participating in discussions relating to access and land ownership. The scene creates awareness for women to participate in land discussions.

This scene could have been more gender aware if it had included a female lawyer with experience in women’s rights to access and control land, property and housing.