Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday called for gender-based violence and femicide to end.
Ramaphosa said the government had responded to the call for tougher bail conditions for perpetrators.
He was speaking during the official National Women’s Day celebration when he announced that they now want to move to a stage where if one touches a woman and get arrested, there is no bail.
He said when one kills a woman, the perpetrator will get a life sentence.
“There is no justifiable reason for us as men to believe that you own women. There was a period where men believed they own women, and we must relegate that with the past. No man must ever believe that they own women in South Africa,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the violence perpetrated by men against women and girls was an assault on our common humanity. Women do not feel safe in their homes, on the street, or in places of work, study, or worship,“ said Ramaphosa.
He said more than 12 000 police members had received training to respond effectively to gender-based violence and to focus on the needs of victims.
He said more than one million DNA collection kits had been delivered to police stations around the country since 2019, and there were now just over 1 000 victim-friendly rooms at police stations countrywide.
Ramaphosa said over the past year, they opened three Thuthuzela Care Centres for victims of gender-based violence, bringing the national total to 62.
He added that they had responded to the call for tougher bail conditions for perpetrators.
“Effective from earlier this month, no police bail may be granted to persons charged with rape or if the victim was in a domestic relationship with the perpetrator. Such bail applications must be formally applied for in court. If the accused was in a domestic relationship with the alleged victim, the court has to issue a protection order against them before releasing them on bail.
“Also effective from earlier this month, gang or serial rapists face life imprisonment, as do perpetrators of date rape, marital rape, child rape and incest. We are also piloting a system in a number of provinces that will enable victims of domestic violence to apply for protection orders online,” said Ramaphosa.
The event was supposed to take place in Cape Town, but it had to be moved to the Union Buildings in Pretoria due to the ongoing violent taxi strike.
“We congratulate women for their resilience, empathy and wisdom. The fight for gender equality continues. Happy Women’s Day, South Africa. Igama lamakhosikazi malibongwe (we thank courageous women),” said South African politician and former UN official Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The EFF paid tribute to more than 20 000 brave women who protested against the Apartheid pass laws in 1956 at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The party said it will continue the fight for equal pay for Banyana Banyana.
"Let’s unite and make South Africa safe for women and break the silence on Gender-Based Violence," said EFF national spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys.
"We particularly call upon progressive women across all walks of life to unite to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide and to call out all men who perpetuate these acts regardless of their social standing," said ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
The Star