The president said the country was in the midst of two devastating epidemics, the coronavirus and what he described as the ‘war on women’.
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday evening strongly condemned the recent spate of gender-based violence cases in South Africa.
“Over the last few weeks, no fewer than 21 women and children have been killed in South Africa. These women are not just statistics. They have names, and they have families,” Ramaphosa said. “Their killers thought they could silence them. But we will not forget them, and we will speak for them where they cannot.”
He also noted that violent crimes had increased since government lifted restrictions on alcohol sales on 1 June under level 3 lockdown, saying the link between alcohol abuse and GBV had to be interrogated. He mentioned the women who were recently killed in the country as a result of GBV and femicide like Tshegofatso Pule. The 28-year-old’s body was found hanging from a tree with multiple stab wounds in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, last week. She was eight-months pregnant.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
African medics struggle in virus 'war zone'Health workers toiling on the frontline across Africa say they are facing rising infections, shortages of PPE and growing strains as they battle the coronavirus.
Read more »
Ramaphosa says their names as he addresses SA's 'other pandemic' gender-based violenceIn one of his strongest speeches against gender-based violence yet, President Cyril Ramaphosa said as a father and a husband he was appalled at the war being waged against women and children. SAYHERNAME DontLookAway
Read more »
WATCH: Cyril Ramaphosa speaks about the risk-adjusted Covid-19 planAfter a number of meetings, including with the NCC, the president addresses the nation about the lockdown
Read more »
WATCH: Cyril Ramaphosa speaks about the risk-adjusted Covid-19 planAfter a number of meetings, including with the NCC, the president addresses the nation about the lockdown
Read more »
Ramaphosa on gender-based violence: 'Their killers thought they could silence them but we will speak for them'SA finds itself in the midst of two devastating epidemics: the novel coronavirus – and the scourge of gender-based violence that has seen a number of women brutally killed over the past few weeks.
Read more »
READ IN FULL: Ramaphosa’s addresses the nation on SA's response to pandemicThe pandemic has severely disrupted the livelihoods of millions of people and cost SA 1,674 lives
Read more »