Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and Amos Masondo, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, have warned that the time for talking on gender-based violence was over and it was now time for government to take decisive action.
The presiding officers said on Wednesday following the Women’s Parliament session last week they have realised that more needed to be done to fight gender-based violence.
This followed the murder of 19-year-old University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana, who was allegedly killed by a stranger, and boxing champion Leighandre 'Baby Lee' Jegels, who was shot by her policeman boyfriend.
Modise and Masondo made a statement after UCT students marched on Parliament on Wednesday. They said the violence against women and children had reached a national crisis point.
“South Africa cannot afford to sloganeer and lament when women and girl children continue to die at the hands of men, most of whom are known to them. It is clear that a war has been declared against women and girl children, and therefore it cannot be business as usual.
"Extraordinary interventions are called upon to bring an end to these senseless acts of lawlessness. This is a crisis and a war must be waged against these perpetrators to send a message of zero tolerance,” said Modise and Masondo in a statement.
Cabinet ministers including Bheki Cele, Lindiwe Sisulu, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and Naledi Pandor addressed them.
The ministers promised students that more engagements were needed to fight gender-based violence.
Politics Bureau