South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday addressed young men and boys in Soweto on ways to put an end to the disturbing issue of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), a statement from the SA government posted on X says.
This is part of the programme of the Presidential Young Men and Boys Indaba, which the president hopes would shed more light on the progress achieved in the SGBVF prevention project in schools.
Ramaphosa assisted by the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will also dialogue with these young people on the difficulties they encounter in times of violence and abuse, as well as the way forward.
Part of the statement, detailing activities at the occasion, read:
“President @CyrilRamaphosa will engage with young men and boys on the prevention and combating of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as part of the programme of the Presidential Young Men and Boys Indaba. #GBVF
“The engagement will afford the President a platform to engage with young men and boys on the tangible progress made in GBVF prevention activities in schools and the challenges faced under the scourge of violence and abuse. #GBVF
“The learners taking part in the Presidential Young Men and Boys Indaba at Maponya Mall in Soweto have arrived and are looking forward to engaging with President @CyrilRamaphosa on issues of preventing and combating gender-based violence and femicide. @DBE_SA #GBVF
“The President is now addressing the Presidential Young Men and Boys Indaba. He says the #GBVF is a scourge that he described as a pandemic. He says he needs everyone to get together and bring this to an end.
President Ramaphosa has often spoken out against gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa, thus, the “Indaba” will serve as an avenue to have talks with young male learners on “positive masculinity.
Following a surge in cases of femicide in 2020, he took to his weekly newsletter to address the situation.
“I have been deeply disturbed by a surge over the last few days in the murder of young women at the hands of men.
“These are shocking acts of inhumanity that have no place in our society,” he wrote.
In March 2023, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development reported an astonishing 50,000 cases of gender-based violence and femicide in the country on an annual basis.
In March 2023, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development reported an astonishing 50,000 cases of gender-based violence and femicide in the country on an annual basis.
The South African Police Service also reported that 988 women were murdered between April 2020 and September 2022, and these deaths were all related to gender-based violence.
In the words of Pule Mpolokeng, from the Justice Department, the Ikageng area is notorious for such incidents.
“We do estimate over 50,000 cases in the country about domestic violence-related matters and also about the protection of harassment. There are two separate processes, and then here in JB Marks Municipality, especially at Ikageng.”
Ikageng is number one, based on domestic violence and harassment in the whole province, and also it is also one of the top 30 areas where domestic violence and protection of harassment complaints are laid,” said Mpolokeng.
As a move to ensure inclusive sensitisation on SGBVF, youth-development programme facilitator Primestars launched a national boy-focused initiative called “What About the Boys?” Designed to sensitise young men and boys on the need to break free from stereotypes and practices that enable SGBVF,