Riyaz Patel
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an overhaul of the national register of gender-based violence offenders, saying he will ask Parliament to make public the national register of offenders.
Ramaphosa was addressing the nation Thursday evening, amid increasing levels of violence against women and children, as well as the xenophobic attacks.
Ramaphosa said it was time to take tough action on sex offenders.
The president said that he will ask Parliament to consider amending the legislation to make the “National Register of Offenders public.”
“I will propose to Cabinet that all crimes against women and children should attract harsher minimum sentences,” Ramaphosa said.
The murder of several women including UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana and boxing champion Leighadre Jewels have propelled the gender violence crisis back into the spotlight
“I wish to enumerate some of the measures we will be taking, we’re going to overhaul and modenise the national register of gender-based violence offenders provided for in the Sexual Offences Act to ensure that it is effective in combating gender-based violence.“
The president also announced that Treasury will make available additional funding to coordinate campaigns on gender-based violence.
“As South African men, let us take responsibility for our actions. We must treat the women and girls of our country with care and respect,” he said, adding, “it is only when we do that that we will end violence against women and children.”
