President Cyril Ramaphosa will “in a few days” address the nation to give an update on the government’s response to gender-based violence in the country.
He is also expected to touch on the investigations into the recent murders of women in Ekurhuleni.
This was part of Ramaphosa’s speech at the National Heritage Day event in Oudtshoorn, on Thursday.
His remarks come following a surge in violent crimes against women and girls: particularly the recent discoveries of 10 female murder victims in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
And in the Cape, 10-year-old Octavia Swarts was found dead at a dam in Joostenberg Vlakte last Monday.
In his address, Ramaphosa said that abuse, rape and the killing of women cannot be normalised, and regarded as part of the country’s heritage.
“The pain and suffering that the women of South Africa have been put through stands out as a national shame.”
Ramaphosa also urged South Africans to guard against the elements that threaten national unity.
He said, in the past, the country’s common enemy was Apartheid, but “our enemy today is unemployment, gender-based violence, corruption, and alcohol and drug abuse.”
“The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage.”
Between July and September of this year, authorities have discovered the bodies of at least 10 women murdered across Ekurhuleni, including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, and Kwa‑Thema.
This resulted in the area being put under police lockdown, and the formation of a specialised investigating team.
