President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stark warning over South Africa's escalating gender-based violence and femicide GBVF crisis, describing it as a threat not only to the country but to societies worldwide, Cape town Etc reports.
Speaking at the closing of the G20 Social Summit, the president stressed that no nation can hope to prosper while women, children and other vulnerable groups continue to face abuse, often at the hands of the very people meant to protect them. His remarks come as women's rights organisations across the country prepare to stage protests and pickets to draw attention to the unrelenting wave of violence affecting South African women.
Ramaphosa noted that the problem has deepened since the Covid-19 pandemic, a time when domestic violence cases surged dramatically. He warned that the current situation has become even more severe, with the safety and agency of women under sustained attack.