South African leader urges men to speak up on gender-based violence after series of killings
Source: Guardian World ↗
President Cyril Ramaphosa used a televised address to call on South African men to intervene against gender‑based violence and announced a series of government actions after a wave of murders shocked the nation. He pledged that police will review all unsolved murders, attempted murders and serious sexual offences against women and children, and that a funded plan to clear the forensic backlog will be produced within 60 days. Local governments have been given five months to remedy safety‑compromising conditions such as broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces and abandoned buildings, while five ministers have been tasked with drafting a strategy to curb alcohol‑fuelled violence in the same timeframe. Ramaphosa stressed that women should not have to live in fear because of governmental failures to maintain infrastructure, process evidence or enforce laws.
The urgency of the president’s appeal follows the discovery of eleven women’s bodies dumped across Ekurhuleni, the municipality east of Johannesburg, since 15 July, with eight bodies found in the past three weeks. Among the victims was Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, whose remains were recovered on 12 September after she vanished while jogging after work. The string of killings has sparked nationwide grief and anger, prompting Ramaphosa to directly address men, urging them to challenge relatives, friends and colleagues who harass, humiliate or abuse women and to stop remaining silent. He highlighted that the burden of male violence has been unfairly placed on women, who have had to alter their routes, avoid night travel and warn each other about dangerous places and men.
Human‑rights groups welcomed the timelines but warned that real change depends on implementation and accountability. Amnesty International South Africa’s executive director Shenilla Mohamed noted that the issues are not new and that previous protests since 2019 have failed to produce lasting solutions, emphasizing that the president’s deadlines will matter only if they lead to concrete action and consequences for inaction. Representatives from the NGO Sonke Gender Justice, Mpiwa Mangwiro‑Tsanga and Bafana Khumalo, warned that the response remains overly reactive, focusing on post‑violence measures such as investigating cases, processing forensic evidence and repairing unsafe spaces, rather than on comprehensive prevention. They expressed concern that municipalities are being asked to fulfill mandates they have historically neglected, underscoring the need for a broader strategy that addresses the root causes of gender‑based violence.
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🌍World Economylow impact
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🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.