MIDRAND - President Cyril Ramaphosa said it’s the responsibility of men to end the brutal violence against women and children.
He says barbaric acts of GBV are shameful and deeply disturbing.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the second presidential summit on gender-based violence and femicide in Midrand.
He admits government has been far too slow in implementing its strategic plan to end violence against women and children.
The latest crime statistics reveal that more than 800 women and 200 children were murdered between April and June.
"Just as babies are not being spared, even the elderly have become targets of violent men.
"We have in recent times seen a spate of rapes and killings of elderly women, our mothers and grandmothers that are meant to be respected and treated with dignity," he said.
"These horrors defy comprehension. There are really no words for them. They tell a story about our society that is deeply disturbing.
"These barbaric acts are a shameful indictment of the men of this country."
Ramaphosa said gender-based violence should be seen as the country's leading pandemic.
Tensions have been running as several speakers and audience members have called out government and the police for their lack of urgency in dealing with the scourge.
"We decided to embark on a number of interventions to deal with the scourge of GBV and femicide -- a scourge that some of you have correctly said I dubbed the second pandemic," the president said.
"You are right in saying we should see this as the first pandemic now because it continues to destroy the lives of women and children of our country."Ramaphosa
The summit concludes on Wednesday.