President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced four immediate measures to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa. The announcement comes amid a national outrage following the discovery of multiple bodies of women across Ekurhuleni over the past two months. Ramaphosa acknowledged that the government has failed women as they continue experiencing violence and being killed. He described the violence inflicted upon the women of South Africa as "a source of profound pain and national shame".
Ramaphosa delivered his address "with the heaviest of hearts", acknowledging that despite years of speaking on the GBVF matter, the crisis continues. He emphasized that what has been done so far has not been enough to prevent women from being killed, make them safe in their homes, streets, public transport, workplaces, and places of learning. The President stated that as the government, they must do better, and as a society, they must also do better.
The President announced several directives to his Cabinet ministers, provincial governments, municipalities, and other state entities that play a role in the criminal justice system. The first directive involves a national case-recovery operation focused on unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes, and serious sexual offences involving women and children. This operation must identify the number and age of unresolved cases, cases awaiting forensic evidence, and cases in which suspects have been identified but not arrested.
The national case-recovery operation must be completed within 60 days, with individual recovery plans in place for priority cases and stalled cases within 90 days. Each plan must identify the outstanding action, the responsible official, and the deadline for moving the case forward. Additionally, the Minister of Police, the National Commissioner of Police, and relevant forensic authorities must present a funded plan to reduce forensic backlogs and establish clear turnaround standards for priority GBVF cases within 60 days.
Every municipality has been directed to begin a women's safety audit without delay, identifying high-risk areas and working with provincial governments and the police. Within 60 days, these audits must identify broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes and facilities, poorly secured parks, and other conditions that place women at risk. The results of the audits and progress in correcting the identified hazards will be published.
Provincial and municipal authorities must intensify enforcement of existing liquor laws and by-laws, particularly against unlicensed outlets and establishments that trade outside permitted hours. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, working with other Ministers, must submit to Cabinet within 60 days a coordinated legislative and enforcement package to reduce alcohol-related violence.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee and the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will monitor these measures and issue consolidated public progress reports every quarter. A first consolidated report will be issued within 90 days. Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia revealed that 50,511 GBVF cases were registered with the SAPS in the 2025/26 financial year, with 30,736 resulting in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Key points
- President Ramaphosa announces four immediate measures to combat GBVF in South Africa.
- The government has failed women, and Ramaphosa acknowledges that more needs to be done to prevent violence against women.
- The Inter-Ministerial Committee and the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will monitor the measures and issue consolidated public progress reports every quarter.
