The family of slain University of Cape Town (UCT) student Uyinene Mrwetyana says her murder served as the push needed for the country to unite and demand the protection of women.
Young women have been picketing outside Parliament against gender based violence and have called on men to protect them against the perpetrators of such crimes.
South Africans have taken to social media under the hashtag #AM-I-NEXT to call on government to take action against such violence.
Uyinene’s rape and murder is one of a string of crimes committed against women in recent weeks.
On Tuesday Minister for Women Children and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane declared Sunday the eighth of September as a day of prayer and a moment of silence in honour of women and children killed in the country.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane and her Justice and Constitutional Development counterpart Ronald Lamola, as well as Deputy Social Development Minister Henrietta Bogopane Zulu were addressing the media in Cape Town on recent incidents of gender-based violence and femicide.
She said the attacks on women represented a lack of respect and failure to recognise the inherent equality and dignity of women.
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