WATCH | Somizi to Ramaphosa on GBV: What's it going to take for you to say enough is enough?
The 'Idols SA' judge said he's heard the speeches, he now wants to see action to address gender-based violence
The scourge of gender-based violence in SA has led to Somizi sending an open video message to the president, asking what it will take for him to finally address femicide.
The Idols SA judge took to Instagram on Tuesday to record the video, in which he addressed the president and asked questions he felt deserved better answers than the president has given thus far.
“What is it going to take for you to say enough is enough?” Somizi asked.
Somizi said he found it disturbing that the government and president reacted so quickly to the rise of alcohol-related car accidents with proposals to introduce harsher laws, but the GBV issue had not been given similar attention.
“This is directed to the president because he's the principal. There's been a couple of road accidents, which should be very concerning because they are alcohol-related accidents. No, it's in the news and the laws must be harsher and blah blah blah.
“So I want to ask, President Cyril Ramaphosa, what is it going to take for you to stand and stop everything and freeze everything ... like the same effort you put into banning alcohol and cigarettes and implementing the lockdown?”
“What is it going to take for you to take a stand and make a concrete decision with regards to what is going on around our sisters, our mothers, our aunts, our gogos and our children?”
The president and his government have in various speeches and press releases condemned gender-based violence. In one of his recent speeches, the president went as far as mentioning the names of some of the GBV victims.
They have also promised on several occasions to put structures in place for the support of victims and to ensure that the system gives them the justice they deserve.
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