President Cyril Ramaphosa says his government and the African National Congress (ANC) must work towards the eradication of gender-based violence and corruption with the same tenacity as they are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
The President engaged with representatives from various sectors on Friday night during the ANC’s virtual men’s dialogue on gender-based violence.
Ramaphosa says South Africans are facing pandemics which include corruption and COVID-19, poverty and inequality as well as violence against women and children.
Let this be a turning point in our fight against corruption. pic.twitter.com/qw8MCZl9Li
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 23, 2020
“A number of colleagues have been saying we acted with such determination against COVID-19; we need to see that also happening with GBV, femicide and corruption. All these pandemics must lead to the action that will reposition the lives of our people. And the other pandemic of course is poverty inequality and joblessness. And they’ve descended on our country all at one go,” says the President.
This has been a very insightful and engaging dialogue, which has improved our understanding and strengthened our resolve to confront this grave social challenge. This message must spread throughout all our structures in all our provinces. #ANCMensDialogue
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 4, 2020
Ensuring equal representation of women and men, and active inclusion of people from the LGBTQI+ community in leadership positions across society, will aid in our efforts to change mindsets about traditional gender roles and stereotypes. #ANCMensDialogue
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 4, 2020
Ramaphosa says the COVID-19 pandemic, although devastating, has shown government that it is capable to decisively and successfully deal with any situation.
He says the country is facing four pandemics namely the coronavirus, corruption, gender-based violence and poverty.
South Africa has seen an increase in corruption-related to the procurement of Person Protective Equipment during the pandemic.
Gender-based violence has continued to plague women and children in the country with the latest incidents being the murder of at least six women in Mthwalume, KwaZulu-Natal.
“The COVID-19 moment much as it is terrible also has a silver lining in that it is getting us to act in ways that we never envisaged under normal conditions. And I was saying to my colleagues in cabinet that I’d like us in this fight against gender-based violence; to leave certain momentous certain legacies where we will say we fought against, but we also fought against GBV, femicide, corruption and these are the legacies that we left.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa holds a virtual men’s dialogue on gender-based violence:
