President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern over the alarming number of rapes and murders committed by heartless criminals across the country, almost every day.
Addressing the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Midrand, Johannesburg on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa said it is concerning that just as babies are not being spared, even the elderly have become targets of violent men.
In the first quarter of 2021 and 2022, there was a 52% increase in murders of women and a 46% increase in the horrendous killings of children, according to Ramaphosa.
He said newspapers, television, and the internet are full of stories about women or children losing their lives or being horribly abused every day.
Despite our efforts to fight the scourage, violence against women and children continues unabated in our country, Ramaphosa said.
He noted that many more women have been killed by men since the ghastly accident in which 19-year-old university student, Uyinene Mrwetyana, was raped and murdered in 2019.
“Since then, the nation has been horrified by the brutal violence that killed Tshegofatso Pule, Nosicelo Mtebeni, Hillary Gardee, Namhla Mtwa, Dimpho Skelenge, and many others.”
He said it’s unfortunate that innocent people like Asithandile Same, Tshimologo Lotshabeng, Tazne van Wyk, and Reagan Gertse have fallen victim to heartless criminals.
Just as the country was reeling from the news of a gang rape of a group of women at a mine dump in Krugersdorp, Ramaphosa said the country was confronted with the news of the murder of the four-year-old girl Bokgabo Poo, whose body parts had been thrown into a field, after she had been dismembered.
It has been exactly four years since we made a pledge to each other to end violence perpetrated by men against women and children in South Africa.
“We agreed to develop a National Strategic Plan to guide our national response, coordinate the various sectors involved in the fight against GBV, and strengthen the state’s response.”
In response to the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide, the decision was made to embark on a number of interventions.
According to Ramaphosa, the purpose of this second presidential summit is for the government to assess how far the country has come in fulfilling the commitments made at the first summit in 2018 as well as in implementing the National Strategic Plan.
“We need to be critical about those areas of the National Strategic Plan in which there has been little or no progress”
“There is a lot at stake here for women and children in our country. It is impossible to ignore the urgency of the situation. For this reason, all those attending this summit must remain focused on results and taking action,” said Ramaphosa.
Even the elderly have become targets of violent men, just as babies are not being spared.
“We owe this to South African women and children. We owe it to everyone affected by this scourge, including their loved ones and families,” added Ramaphosa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern over the alarming number of rapes and murders committed by heartless criminals throughout the country.
Addressing the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Mirand, Johannesburg on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa said it is concerning that just as babies are not being spared, even the elderly have become targets of violent men.
Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, there was a 52% increase in the murder of women and a 46% increase in the number of children murdered, said Ramaphosa.
He said that not a day goes by without a story in the newspapers, on television or online about a woman or child that has lost their life or been abused in the most horrendous manner.
Despite our efforts to fight scourage, violence against women and children continues unabated in our country, Ramaphosa said.
He noted that many more women have been killed by men since the ghastly accident in which 19-year-old university student, Uyinene Mrwetyana, was raped and murdered in 2019.
“Since then, the nation has been horrified by the brutal violence that killed Tshegofatso Pule, Nosicelo Mtebeni, Hillary Gardee, Namhla Mtwa, Dimpho Skelenge, and many others.”
He said it’s unfortunate that innocent people like Asithandile Same, Tshimologo Lotshabeng, Tazne van Wyk, and Reagan Gertse have fallen victim to heartless criminals.
Just as the country was reeling from the news of a gang rape of a group of women at a mine dump in Krugersdorp, Ramaphosa said the country was confronted with the news of a murder of the four-year-old little Bokgabo Poo, whose body parts had been thrown into a field, after she had been dismembered.
It has been exactly four years since we made a pledge to each other to end violence perpetrated by men against women and children in South Africa.
“We agreed to develop a National Strategic Plan to guide our national response, coordinate the various sectors involved in the fight against GBV, and strengthen the state’s response.”
In response to the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide, the decision was made to embark on a number of interventions.
According to Ramaphosa, the purpose of this second presidential summit is for the government to assess how far the country has come in fulfilling the commitments made at the first summit in 2018 as well as in implementing the National Strategic Plan.
“The National Strategic Plan needs to be critically examined in areas where little or no progress has been made. To correct shortcomings and weaknesses, we need practical plans.”
“Our country’s women and children are at stake here. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. It is for this reason that all of us attending this Summit must be focused on action and results,” added Ramaphosa.
Even the elderly has become targets of violent men, just as babies are not being spared.
“We owe this to South African women and children. We owe it to everyone affected by this scourge, including their loved ones and families.,” added Ramaphosa.
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