President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the South African government will deploy more money, resources, and technology to strengthen its fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. He described the issue as a national crisis that requires a comprehensive response. Ramaphosa made these comments while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ANC Veterans League fundraising golf day in Woodmead, Johannesburg.
The president's comments come amid heightened concern over the safety of women in South Africa. Recently, the bodies of nine women were discovered in separate incidents in Ekurhuleni over the past two months. Police have intensified investigations into the deaths, with a multidisciplinary team of specialised policing resources deployed to investigate the cases. Ramaphosa emphasised that women should not have to live in fear of men.
Ramaphosa stated that an interministerial committee is working on several initiatives aimed at strengthening the government's response to violence against women. The committee's efforts will focus on addressing the root causes of GBV and implementing effective measures to prevent and combat it. The president vowed that the government would intensify its response to violence against women.
The president called on men to respect women and emphasised that GBV should not be viewed solely as a problem affecting women but as a crisis confronting the country as a whole. He stated that men must continue respecting women, honouring them, and recognising their role as builders of the nation. Ramaphosa also acknowledged that GBV is a national crisis that requires a collective response.
Ramaphosa said the government would "pull out all stops" to track down perpetrators of GBV. He emphasised that the government remained committed to protecting women and ensuring they could live safely. The president has consistently spoken out against GBV throughout the years and reiterated his commitment to spreading the message that the government is committed to protecting women.
The president acknowledged that there may be instances where authorities fall short in their response to GBV. However, he emphasised that the government's commitment to addressing the issue is genuine and forceful. Ramaphosa expressed confidence that the government would make significant progress in protecting the women of South Africa.
Ramaphosa's pledge to deploy more resources to combat GBV has been welcomed as a positive step towards addressing the issue. The government faces the challenge of implementing effective measures to prevent and combat GBV.
Key points
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to deploy more money, resources, and technology to combat gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
- The issue of GBV has been described as a national crisis that requires a comprehensive response from the government and society as a whole.
- The government has intensified investigations into recent cases of GBV, with a multidisciplinary team of specialised policing resources deployed to investigate the cases.
