South African leader drops UN visit as women protest attacks

South Africa's president on Friday canceled a visit to the United Nations' annual gathering of world leaders this month to focus on unrest over gender-based violence and xenophobic attacks, while women held another protest to express their fears.

Hundreds gathered outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to demand stronger government and business-sector action against rising levels of rapes and other sexual offenses. Some members of the ruling African National
"Every day there is a reported case, even the victims being small children," said Soweto resident Othilia Motau. "Our courts are not prosecuting people. They get arrested and soon they are out on the streets and they rape again."
"Even now we are scared of the police, we do not get any comfort from having the police around. Safe spaces are only created by other women."