President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his National Heritage Day address to call on South Africans to stand together against gender-based violence, saying the abuse and killing of women cannot form part of the country’s heritage.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the national Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn, where he urged South Africans to draw strength from the country’s cultural traditions while confronting the challenges facing the nation.
The President acknowledged the progress made since the advent of democracy, but said issues including inclusivity, redress and cultural democracy remain areas of concern.
He also used the occasion to address the ongoing crisis of violence against women.
“The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage,” Ramaphosa said.
He described the suffering experienced by women in South Africa as a national shame and expressed his concern about violence perpetrated by men.
“I am ashamed of what we men are doing to the women of South Africa,” he said.
Ramaphosa stressed that no cultural practice should undermine the dignity or safety of women.
He said women should be able to move freely throughout the country without fear of being attacked.
“The women of South Africa have the right to walk the streets of their country at any hour without fear,” he said.
The President said he would address the nation in the coming days on measures being taken by government to tackle gender-based violence.
He is also expected to provide an update on investigations into the killings of women in and around Ekurhuleni.
“Violence against women will not be part of the inheritance we leave to the next generation,” Ramaphosa said.
His remarks come amid heightened concern over a series of killings in Ekurhuleni.
Between July and mid-September 2026, police discovered the bodies of at least nine women in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville and Kwa-Thema.
The killings have prompted a major police investigation and increased law enforcement deployment in the affected areas.