Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu came close to tears as he called on South Africa's men to stop abusing, raping and killing women. Picture: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu came close to tears as he called on South Africa's men to stop abusing, raping and killing women. Picture: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS
Parliament - Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu on Thursday came close to tears as he called on South Africa's men to stop abusing, raping and killing women.
Mthembu was addressing government's measures to stamp out the scourge of gender-based violence during a media briefing on the outcomes of Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.
"You will forgive me for the emotions that pour in as we talk about women because many of us also have daughters as we talk about the killing of women and other young girls and it touches a raw nerve to some of us because we are just human. We are fathers," he said with a shaky voice.
"What type of men do these things? I think we have our work cut out as men to stop this...to go everywhere and speak to other men wherever they are, in the shebeens, in the workplaces to stop this violation of women's rights in the country."
Mthembu's comments come a day after president Cyril Ramaphosa outlined an emergency response plan to the high rates of femicide and gender-based violence which included legislative reforms like no bail and no parole for perpetrators, the lobbying of private companies to contribute to a central fund to fight the scourge, and the expansion of support services for survivors.
The emergency plan came after tens of the thousands of South Africans took to the streets in protest in recent weeks as daily horror stories of women being raped, maimed and killed continue to emerge.