South African men should be ashamed about the way they treat women and children as newly released statistics showed increased numbers of assaults between July and September this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.
Latest figures released by the South African Police Service revealed that there were 9,556 reported rape cases in the quarter to September a – representing seven percent increase over the previous three months.
Commenting on the statistics, Ramaphosa said South African men should be ashamed of themselves, judging by the rising cases of rape, domestic violence and child murders.
“If a nation’s character is judged by how it treats its women and children, then South Africa is falling desperately short,” Ramaphosa said.
According to the SAPS statistics, more than 13,000 of the nearly 73,000 assault cases reported during the period under review were domestic violence-related, while the rate of child murders had risen by nearly a third compared to the previous three months.
“These statistics are shameful. We are in the grip of a relentless war being waged on the bodies of women and children that, despite our best efforts, shown no signs of abating,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “We have said before that the violence perpetrated by men against women is the second pandemic that our country must confront. And, like the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be overcome if we all work together.”
Ramaphosa said the government would devote the necessary resources to combat crimes of gender-based violence and would continue to do so until the scourge is eradicated.
NM/jn/APA