By: Lungisa Somtombo and Nosipho Haya-Komisa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has visited the families of the three victims of gender based violence in the Buffalo City Metro.
This follows the brutal murder of the 19 year old University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana, Boxing Champion Leighandre Jagels and mother of a six year old boy, Angelique Clark- Abrahams.
Speaking at Mrwetyana’s home in Gonubie, East London, the president said the brutal killing of young women and children must come to an end. He added that as the government they will make sure that they give their full support and protection to women.
“Women should no longer be treated as toys and objects that men can kick around, rape and kill. This must now be stopped and I believe that now we have reached a level where our resolve as a nation must reach a higher level. At government level we are going to take all the steps to make sure that we give maximum protection to all the women of this country,” the president said.
Ramaphosa said he’s going to have a meeting with university Vice Chancellors of various universities of the country, minister of higher education, his deputy together with the premiers of the provinces where there are universities so that they focus on what is unfolding at universities where young women are being abused, raped and killed as well as incidents of suicide.
He said they are going to embark on a number of initiatives where the criminal justice system is also going to gear up so that they can address these matters in a holistic manner.
“We must start a broader campaign which will involve faith based organisations, community based organisations and professional police,” he said.
Speaking at Clark-Abrahams home at Brookville, Westbank, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said they are currently working on a massive provincial prayer service that will be on the 22nd of this month at Fort Hare University, where they received reports on incidents of suicide by young girls which indicates that there’s a lot to be done on a psychological point of view.
Devastated Clark-Abrahams mother Jannet Clark said she is still is shock of her daughters brutal murder. She added that she warned her daughter about the behavior of his son-in-law who was abusive.
Clark-Abrahams left behind her six year old son who is still traumatized after witnessing her mother being brutally killed by his father.