South Africa vows to combat online gender-based violence

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- A South African official on Thursday pledged the government's commitment to tackling the online abuse against women, as digital platforms see a rise in threats, harassment, cyberstalking, and the non-consensual sharing of images.

"When threats of rape, doxxing, or image-based abuse go unpunished, we normalize gender-based violence. We reinforce impunity. We send the chilling message that women's safety, online or offline, is not a priority. I want to be clear today: this government does not accept that," said Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele.