‘A national shame’: Ramaphosa uses Heritage Day to condemn GBV

President Cyril Ramaphosa said violence against women in South Africa should not be something that is experienced by future generations in South Africa.

He said this while delivering his Heritage Day speech at the Bongolethu Sport Stadium in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, on Thursday.

It comes after the bodies of at least nine women were found dumped in Ekurhuleni in recent weeks.

‘Women abuse is not our heritage’ – Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa said that gender-based violence in South Africa is a “national shame”.

“The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage,” he said.

“The pain and suffering that the women of South Africa have been put through stands out as a national shame.”

The president said women should be able to live in South Africa without fear.

“Violence against women will not be part of the inheritance we leave to the next generation.”

Ramaphosa added that he will address the country in a few days to outline what government will do to curb GBV. He also said he will provide an update on the investigation into the killings of the women in Ekurhuleni.

‘Pain of the past’

He also used Heritage Day to tell South Africans not to forget the country’s past injustices.

“A nation that forgets its history risks losing its way. We must remember the pain of our past.

“We must remember dispossession. We must remember slavery and colonialism. We must remember apartheid. We must remember forced removals.”

The president said that while South Africans remember the pain, they should also consider the bravery and strength that was needed to overcome apartheid.

“We must also remember resistance. We must remember courage. We must remember solidarity.

“We must remember the millions of ordinary people who refused to accept that injustice was permanent,” he said.

Ramaphosa said one of South Africa’s greatest achievements was its transition to democracy.

“After generations of conflict and division, South Africans chose to build one country, together.

“That too is our heritage.”

South Africa’s diversity

He said South Africa’s diverse cultures make it unique and should be used to “build something greater”.

“We speak many languages. We worship in different ways. We have different histories. We come from different communities. We do not all look the same. We do not always agree. Yet we are all South Africans,” he said.

“Our diversity does not make us less of a nation; our diversity is what makes us the nation that we are.”