President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced men who use culture and tradition as a shield to justify the abuse of women, describing the trend as unacceptable and deeply harmful to South African society.
Speaking on Thursday at the Free State provincial men’s indaba, held at Lemo Green Park as part of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Ramaphosa addressed more than 5,000 attendees. He said violence against women and children had reached alarming levels, with many perpetrators hiding behind customs and distorted views of masculinity.
“Some men, in the name of tradition, commit these crimes. Some men, in the name of masculinity, commit these crimes,” Ramaphosa said. “Women are the most valuable assets of our country and must be treated with dignity.”
He called on men across the country to take an active stand against gender-based violence, stressing that silence and inaction only allow the problem to grow.
“The abuse of women and children impugns our dignity as men. Men must stop being on the sidelines and being spectators. Crime festers in a culture of silence and the results are that women are becoming terrified,” he added.
Ramaphosa also highlighted the social impact of unstable homes, noting that many boys grow up without father figures. He praised Free State premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae for initiating the men’s indaba, expressing hope that similar initiatives would spread nationwide.
Letsoha-Mathae noted that the province had recorded several harrowing cases of gender-based violence and femicide, which prompted the decision to hold the gathering. She cited the recent killings of cousins Katleho and Onkarabetse Leeuw, whose parents were arrested, as well as an incident in QwaQwa in which a woman survived after being raped and thrown into a raging river.
“These are some of the challenges we are faced with,” the premier said.
