Cyril Ramaphosa’s golf outing sparks outrage as SA reels from deadly women’s killings

President Cyril Ramaphosa has faced a wave of public backlash after being photographed on a golf course while the nation grapples with a surge in the brutal killings of women. The images, which circulated on social media, drew sharp criticism from citizens and activists who argued that the President’s leisure time was insensitive given the gravity of the ongoing gender-based violence crisis.

The violence inflicted upon the women of South Africa is a source of profound pain and national shame. The nation is angry. The women of South Africa are angry.

The outrage comes as South Africa mourns the deaths of several women whose bodies were discovered in and around the Kempton Park area. While the President has since issued statements condemning the violence and promising that no stone will be left unturned in the investigations, many critics feel that the optics of a golf outing during a period of national mourning reflect a disconnect between the leadership and the lived reality of women facing constant threats to their safety.

I say that these cases will not be allowed to go cold. The state is bringing together its available capabilities to establish what happened and to identify those responsible.

Government officials have attempted to pivot the narrative toward the administration’s multi-disciplinary strategy to address gender-based violence and femicide, emphasizing that law enforcement is prioritizing the cases. However, the incident has reignited debates regarding the government’s urgency in responding to the high rates of violence against women in the country.