DA MP Siviwe Gwarube slammed Ramaphosa's speech, saying Women’s Day is not a GBV and femicide (GBVF) awareness day.
“Two years ago, President Ramaphosa introduced a GBVF council, claiming to tackle the scourge of violence against women. To this day, nothing has been done.
“I have this message for him: for every woman who is raped or killed in this country, it is on you, Mr President. It is on you because you protect a minister who is clearly out of touch and ill-suited for the job,” said Gwarube.
She was referring to police minister Bheki Cele, who recently said a woman “was lucky — if it is lucky” to be raped by just one man in a recent gang-rape in Krugersdorp.
Cele, in a conversation with eNCA, said: “One woman was raped by 10 different men. The other one by eight, the other one by six, the other one by four, [the other by] three. The one 19-year-old was lucky — if it is lucky — [to be] raped by one man.”
Gwarube said if Ramaphosa and his cabinet are serious about the safety of women in this country, then the DNA sample backlogs must be cleared now.
“The DA introduced a bill to deal with this very issue of DNA backlogs. We want to ensure that those who commit these crimes do not become repeat offenders at our expense.
“Enough is enough. We cannot allow the lives of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Tshegofatso Pule or Nosicelo Mntebeni and many others to have been lost in vain,” said Gwarube.
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Mashaba: 'Listening to Ramaphosa is like listening to a leader of the opposition'
Image: Eugene Coetzee
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has weighed in on President Cyril Ramaphosa's speech on gender-based violence (GBV), saying the president sounds like an opposition leader in government.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at this year's Women's Day event at the Silahla Sports Field in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.
He said GBV continues to be a stain in SA and cannot go on any longer.
“This cannot continue. The women of SA have had enough of being afraid. Afraid to go out after dark, of being attacked in their own homes, of being preyed on in the classroom, for the safety of their children and even from their own relatives,” said Ramaphosa.
Weighing in on the speech, Mashaba said: “To be honest, listening to President Ramaphosa is like listening to a leader of the opposition in government.”
'The women of SA have had enough of being afraid': Cyril Ramaphosa appeals for end to GBV
DA MP Siviwe Gwarube slammed Ramaphosa's speech, saying Women’s Day is not a GBV and femicide (GBVF) awareness day.
“Two years ago, President Ramaphosa introduced a GBVF council, claiming to tackle the scourge of violence against women. To this day, nothing has been done.
“I have this message for him: for every woman who is raped or killed in this country, it is on you, Mr President. It is on you because you protect a minister who is clearly out of touch and ill-suited for the job,” said Gwarube.
She was referring to police minister Bheki Cele, who recently said a woman “was lucky — if it is lucky” to be raped by just one man in a recent gang-rape in Krugersdorp.
Cele, in a conversation with eNCA, said: “One woman was raped by 10 different men. The other one by eight, the other one by six, the other one by four, [the other by] three. The one 19-year-old was lucky — if it is lucky — [to be] raped by one man.”
Gwarube said if Ramaphosa and his cabinet are serious about the safety of women in this country, then the DNA sample backlogs must be cleared now.
“The DA introduced a bill to deal with this very issue of DNA backlogs. We want to ensure that those who commit these crimes do not become repeat offenders at our expense.
“Enough is enough. We cannot allow the lives of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Tshegofatso Pule or Nosicelo Mntebeni and many others to have been lost in vain,” said Gwarube.
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