The South African government has pledged R1.1 billion (USD 682 million) as additional funding towards the fight against the continued gender-based violence in South Africa.
In the last three weeks, there have been series of protests in South Africa against the rise in Gender-Based violence. This was as a result of rape and murder cases which continue to present over and over again.
There were also a number of marches from the march to the parliament building in Cape Town to the march at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
These marches, vigils and protests have not gone unnoticed as President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that his government would rise to the occasion and swiftly tackle the rising war against women.
According to News24, President Ramaphosa called for a joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces to discuss the way forward from this crisis.
In his address, President Ramaphosa said that,
There is a very violent and brutal war underway against the women of South Africa. Last year, 2 700 women and more than 1 000 children had died at the hands of another person, while the police received over 100 rape cases daily. This does not take into account the many more cases of rape and sexual assault that are not reported.
According to him, regardless of where citizens of South Africa stood across the political divide, it was important to act now, before anger, hopelessness, and despair engulfed the country.
He also presented the house with five important focus points, which include:
Preventing GBV,
Empowering women economically,
Improving the criminal justice system,
Enhancing the existing policy and legal frameworks,
Providing adequate support structures for victims of GBV.
President Ramaphosa called for the denial of bail to perpetrators of rape and women murders, as well as, harsher sentences. Adding that the National Registry for Sex Offenders would soon be made available to the public and not just potential employers.
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