South African leader urges men to speak up on gender-based violence after series of killings

A África do Sul tem sido tomada por tristeza e fúria após a descoberta de 11 corpos de mulheres descartados em Ekurhuleni, uma cidade adjacente a Joanesburgo, desde 15 July.

Photograph: Esa Alexander/ReutersView image in fullscreenSouth Africa has been gripped with grief and fury after the discovery of 11 women’s bodies dumped across Ekurhuleni, a city adjoining Johannesburg, since 15 July.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleSouth Africa’s president has called on men to take more responsibility for violence against women as he announced measures to tackle the problem, amid anger at authorities over a recent wave of murders.

Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that not enough had been done to protect women. He said police would be reviewing unsolved murders, attempted murders and serious sexual offences against women and children, as well as producing a funded plan to reduce the forensic backlog for such cases, both within 60 days.

In a televised speech on Tuesday night, the president said local governments would have five months to address issues that compromised women’s safety, from broken streetlights to overgrown public spaces and abandoned buildings.

He added that he had tasked five ministers to come up with a plan within 60 days to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence.

View image in fullscreenCyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that not enough had been done to protect women. Photograph: Jairus Mmutle/South African Communications and Information Services/AP“Alcohol does not cause gender-based violence and it can never excuse it.

Responsibility always lies with the perpetrator,” Ramaphosa said. “But harmful alcohol use is a significant aggravating factor in interpersonal violence and it must be addressed as part of our wider prevention effort.

Eight of the women were found in the last three weeks, including Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who was discovered on 12 September after she went missing when she went for a run after work.

Ver imagem em tela cheia Pessoas participam de uma corrida memorial em homenagem a Elizabeth ‘Tsontso’ Moselakgomo. Fotografia: Alet Pretorius/Reuters Ramaphosa disse que suspeitos foram presos em conexão com três dos assassinatos e que os demais casos não seriam deixados para esfriar.

He added that police had not found evidence that a serial killer was responsible for all 11 killings, but that all possibilities were still being investigated.

He directly addressed South African men, urging them to challenge relatives, friends and colleagues who harassed, humiliated or abused women. “It is time for good men to stop being silent men,” he said.

View image in fullscreenStudents gather at the University of Cape Town during a vigil for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, while calling for stronger action against violence against women.

Fotografia: Esa Alexander/Reuters. Ativistas expressaram frustração por não terem sido tomadas ações políticas sólidas anos atrás e ceticismo de que as medidas anunciadas por Ramaphosa funcionariam.

Shenilla Mohamed, the executive director of Amnesty International South Africa, said: “These are not new issues and as a country we have been talking about ways to tackle the high numbers of [gender-based violence and femicide], especially since 2019 when women took to the streets to protest, and yet here we are again in the face of continued attacks against women.

Mpiwa Mangwiro-Tsanga and Bafana Khumalo, of Sonke Gender Justice, an NGO, said: “Our concern … is that the response remains heavily weighted towards what happens after violence has already occurred.”.

They added: “Investigating unresolved cases, processing forensic evidence and repairing unsafe public spaces are necessary, but they do not constitute a comprehensive prevention strategy.

It is concerning that the president is asking municipalities to do what is actually their mandate and yet they do not deliver on these.”.