THEBE MABANGA
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa placed women at the centre of the latest COVID-19 measures as he announced the opening of sectors that predominantly employ women during his strongest condemnation yet of the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
Noting the path that the country has travelled in the past 100 days since the first positive case was identified, Ramaphosa noted the lockdown’s effect that began on the 27th of March and has been gradually eased to open up various industries.
Under the current Level 3, which the country moved to at the beginning of June, government has now decided to open more economic activities following industry consultation and scientific advice.
Economic activities to be opened include restaurants for ‘sit-down’ meals, accredited and licensed accommodation, with the exception of home sharing accommodation like Air B n B,
He also outlined the reopening of conferences and meetings for business purposes which will still be in line with restrictions on public gatherings, including cinemas and theatres, also subject limitations on the gathering of people, casinos, personal care services, including hairdressers and beauty services
“In each instance, specific and stringent safety requirements have been agreed on and will need to be put in place before a business can re-open, and protocols will need to be strictly adhered to for businesses to remain open,” said Ramaphosa.
Citing their collective economic impact, the President noted: “Altogether, these industries employed over 500,000 people before the lockdown. We have had to think about these people and those who depend on them for their livelihoods”
Paying particular attention to women, Ramaphosa said: “It has been particularly important for us to open up personal care services, because this is an industry that predominantly employs women.”
He added that the last three months have been particularly difficult for the millions of women who work as hairdressers, in spas, as therapists and technicians.
“Many of these are businesses are owned by women and a source of income in the informal sector. Giving women the necessary support to become financially independent is the greatest of priorities, especially now,” he said, before his mood turned sombre as he addressed the recent spate of high profile incidents of gender based violence.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I stand before the women and girls of South Africa this evening to talk about another pandemic that is raging in our country – the killing of women and children by the men of our country.”
The president added: “As a man, as a husband and as a father, I am appalled at what is no less than a war being waged against the women and children of our country.”
Noting recent victims by name, he said: “We will speak for Tshegofatso Pule, Naledi Phangindawo, Nompumelelo Tshaka, Nomfazi Gabada, Nwabisa Mgwandela, Altecia Kortjie and Lindelwa Peni, all young women who were killed by men.”
Ramaphosa then outlined measures taken to counter violence against women that he first announced at a joint sitting of parliament in September last year where an allocation of R 1.6 billion was made.
Since then, ten buildings were handed over to the Department of Social Development by the Department of Public Works for conversion to shelters for victims of violence.
Police stations are also being equipped to better handle cases with more than 1000 victim friendly rooms now established in the country’s police stations.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
