Ramaphosa calls gender-based violence a national shame in New Year message to SA

President Cyril Ramaphosa described the scourge of gender-based violence as a national shame in his New Year message to fellow South Africans on Tuesday.

He described 2019 as a year filled with highs and lows: “A year in which we measured great progress but also encountered several setbacks."

Elections in May, during which millions cast their votes peacefully and enthusiastically, showed that citizens enjoyed a robust and vibrant democracy.

But he said many in the country still experienced hardships due to unemployment and poverty.

“As a nation we have witnessed the brutality perpetrated by men against the women and the children of our country. We’ve seen lives, both young and old, ended with brutal violence. We’ve seen fear in our homes and in our schools and on our streets.

"Yet as a nation, we have stood as one in our determination to end the crimes perpetrated by those men, who have no respect for the lives and the rights or dignity of women and children."

Watch the full message below.