South Africa to clean up high-risk areas after 12 women killed

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa announced on Tuesday a national-level emergency response to address high-risk areas following the discovery of 12 women's bodies in an area east of Johannesburg over a two-month period. This announcement came after a national outcry about the alarming rates of gender-based violence in South Africa, a country that holds one of the highest rates in the world.

Four arrests have been made so far in connection with these murders. Ramaphosa emphasized that gender-based violence "cannot be accepted as a normal part of life in South Africa" and admitted that the country has not done enough to protect women and girls. He stated that the police currently have no evidence linking the killings to a single perpetrator.

Ramaphosa announced a series of measures to help protect women and girls, including a new wave of actions to enhance women's safety in municipalities. These measures involve conducting women's safety audits without delay, identifying high-risk areas, and addressing issues such as broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes, poorly secured parks, and other conditions that place women at risk.

Additionally, the president announced an enforcement package aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence, noting that while alcohol does not cause gender-based violence, it can exacerbate interpersonal violence and must be addressed as part of the broader prevention effort.

Ramaphosa also acknowledged that deeper societal changes are necessary to reduce violence against women and girls. He stressed that the root causes extend beyond policing and legislation, stating that ending gender-based violence begins with challenging attitudes that regard women as inferior, with beliefs that men have the right to control women, and that jealousy, control mistaken for protection, and coercion mistaken for affection all contribute to the problem.

He urged men and boys to take the lead in ending gender-based violence and clarified that the solution cannot involve making women less free. South Africa has a high homicide rate, with 5,427 people murdered between April and June this year. According to the South African Human Rights Commission, 569 women were killed and 1,052 others survived attempted murder during the same period.