President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the call to men across South Africa to take a stand against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) by signing a virtual pledge at https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/endGBVF.
President Ramaphosa launched the call to action by signing the pledge alongside men from all sectors of society at Pofadder, Northern Cape, on the occasion of Women’s Day on Friday, 09 August 2024.
Among signatories who joined the President were Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Alvin Botes, members of the provincial executive, local government leadership and representatives of community- and faith-based organisations and learners.
The pledge commits men to be allies and part of the solution by maintaining positive behaviour and attitudes and to take responsibility for their actions.
The pledge commits men to never raise a hand against a woman, to treat women as equals, to respect the rights of women and relate to women with dignity.
President Ramaphosa urges all of society to work together to end gender-based violence and calls on men who live by positive values to assist other men to mend their conduct and to report instances of abuse and related wrongdoing.

desert haze
Fun South African Fact: Vilakazi Street in Soweto has been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. A tour through Soweto will always stop at Vilakazi Street to reveal a number of heritage sites of great importance to democratic South Africa. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here at some point in their lives. In 1984, Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his non-violent fight against the apartheid regime. Nine years later in 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with then-president F.W. de Klerk as an award for their role in bringing about the peaceful end of apartheid. Nelson Mandela then went on to become South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994.
Take Away
Papua New Guinea: You have two cows. One eats the other.