Dylan Bettencourt
As the celebrations for Banyana Banyana’s triumph continued, President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged “equal pay for equal work”.
With the squad beaming with their gold medals around their necks, the president said much more has to be done to ensure equal pay in football.
“You deserve equal pay for the work that you do. I’ve been told that you get paid 10 times less than your male counterparts and that needs to come to an end. You should be given what you deserve,” said Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings where the celebrations continued on Wednesday.
He said Danny Jordaan, Safa president cannot continue supporting the notion that when Bafana Bafana play, they get much more than what Banyana Banyana gets.
“It must come to an end,” he said
The South African women’s football team returned home on Tuesday after winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) at the weekend.
Thousands of supporters gathered at the OR Tambo International Airport to welcome the team.
“Today our hearts are bursting at the seams with a great deal of joy,” said Ramaphosa.
“You promised that you would bring the cup, and it is here.”
He said when Banyana took to the pitch on Saturday night in Rabat 60 million South Africans were with them in spirit.
“We watched you as if you were gladiators going to war,” he said.
“We need to give added remuneration to these young women who have made our country proud. We must eliminate the whole process of unequal pay out of our system. When men and women do equal work, the remuneration must be the same.” He said women can no longer be treated in an unfair way.
Ramaphosa explained that he would establish a programme where equal pay would be given for equal work.
“It may take some time for us to get there, but this time around I would like to see these women who have made South Africa so proud be given added remuneration,” Ramaphosa said.
Image source: @SAGovNews
