President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 7 pm on Tuesday as government faces growing pressure to respond to gender-based violence and the killings of women in Ekurhuleni.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced the address during a briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on 23 September, according to eNCA.
The Presidency had already confirmed last week that Ramaphosa would address South Africans on the government’s response to gender-based violence and provide an update on investigations into the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni.
Focus on gender-based violence
Ramaphosa’s address comes amid renewed concern about violence against women across the country.
At Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn on 24 September, the President said government would soon outline steps being taken to confront gender-based violence. He said women should be able to move freely in South Africa without living in fear.
Government has also said it is intensifying its response to the killings in Ekurhuleni.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide said on 20 September that nine women’s bodies had been discovered in Ekurhuleni at that stage. It said law enforcement agencies were working to identify perpetrators and support affected families.
Ekurhuleni murders under scrutiny
The number of bodies discovered has since increased, with eNCA reporting that 11 women’s bodies have been found across Ekurhuleni over the past two months.
Authorities have previously warned against assuming that all the cases are connected unless investigators establish such links.
Parliament’s Police Portfolio Committee made the same point earlier in September, saying SAPS had not confirmed that all the deaths formed part of one linked case.
Ramaphosa expected to outline government response
Ramaphosa has repeatedly described gender-based violence and femicide as a national crisis.
In a recent government message, he said the killings of women had caused deep pain across the country and promised that government would continue supporting affected families while investigations continue.
Tuesday night’s address is expected to focus on the government’s planned interventions and provide an update on the Ekurhuleni investigations.