Ramaphosa: Abuse, rape and killing of women not our heritage

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the abuse, rape and killing of women in South Africa, saying it is not part of the country’s heritage.

The abuse, the rape and the killing of women is not our heritage. It is not who we are. It is not what we stand for.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday, where he addressed the nation on the scourge of gender-based violence.

He said that the country was facing a “dark and shameful” period, and that the government would be taking “decisive action” to address the issue.

“We are going to be taking a number of steps to ensure that we deal with this scourge,” he said.

“We are going to be strengthening our laws, we are going to be ensuring that our police are better equipped to deal with these cases, and we are going to be working with communities to ensure that we create a safer environment for all our women and children.”