President Cyril Ramaphosa has made a passionate plea for men to respect and love women.
He was speaking at an online dialogue on gender-based violence organized by the African National Congress (ANC) and its alliance partners on Monday night.
The dialogue took place under the theme, Men and Boys Fighting Gender-Based Violence.
The dialogue follows the recent wave of attacks and the killing of women in the country.
Other participants included ANC Women’s League President Bathabile Dlamini and the South African Communist Party’s First Deputy General-Secretary, Solly Mapaila.
Ramaphosa says as bearers of life, women need to be respected.
He has vowed to ensure that women are skilled and empowered so that they become independent and free from abuse.
Two pandemics
In his address to the nation on Wednesday last week, Ramaphosa identified two pandemics facing South Africa – one is the COVID-19 virus and the other is gender-based violence.
He said in the last few weeks alone, 21 women and children have been killed in the country.
