Chairperson, year after year leading up to the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, we stand here and speak about all the atrocities that happen to them, but nothing ever changes. We hear the same speeches, the same statistics and put on the same concerned expressions, but nothing ever changes.
Almost every week we see stories in the media of women and children being raped and killed and it is clear that, as leaders and as a society, we have failed to protect the most vulnerable in our society.
So, surely, we can understand the frustration that led to an alleged rapist in the Eastern Cape who had been released on bail being stoned to death by a group of 38 women. These 38 women took the law into their own hands because they felt that we, as leaders, have failed them.
As a nation we have not even come close to turning the tide of this scourge of violence against the most vulnerable in our society and the ID believes that not only must women now stop covering their faces, but they must hit back and hit back hard.
These 16 days must not be used for the people of South Africa to relieve guilt and create media frenzies, but to find ways to put into place sustainable projects for the long term that will contribute significantly to a change in culture and mind-set.
As leaders sitting here today, we need to redouble our efforts because up until now we have failed to make a difference on the ground. Thank you.