In a bid to tackle the surge in violence against women and children, President Cyril Ramaphosa has introduced a four-point recovery plan. The plan aims to ensure that cases involving violence against women and children are processed efficiently and that perpetrators are brought to justice. The President directed the Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, and Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to undertake a national case-recovery operation focused on unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes, and serious sexual offences involving women and children.
The national case-recovery operation will involve individual recovery plans for priority cases and stalled cases. Within 60 days, an audit must identify the number and age of unresolved cases, cases awaiting forensic evidence, cases with identified suspects who have not been arrested, and cases with delayed investigative or prosecutorial action. Each plan must outline outstanding actions, responsible officials, and deadlines for moving cases forward. This initiative seeks to expedite the processing of GBVF cases and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.
To address forensic backlogs, the President has directed the Minister of Police, the Acting National Commissioner of Police Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, and relevant forensic authorities to present a funded plan within 60 days. The plan must set out the size and age of the backlog, shortages of personnel and equipment, required resources, and dates for reducing the backlog. Priority forensic samples in GBVF cases will be ring-fenced for urgent processing, and progress against turnaround standards will be reported publicly every quarter.
Every municipality has been instructed to conduct a women's safety audit without delay. High-risk areas must be identified in collaboration with provincial governments and the police. Within 60 days, these audits must identify hazards such as broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces, abandoned buildings, and poorly secured parks. Within 90 days of completing the audit, the most urgent hazards must be addressed or included in a funded implementation plan with clear completion dates. This initiative aims to create safer environments for women.
The President has also directed the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, to submit a coordinated legislative and enforcement package to reduce alcohol-related violence. The package will be developed in collaboration with the Ministers of Health, Social Development, Police, and Cooperative Governance. The President emphasized that while alcohol does not cause GBV, it is a significant aggravating factor in interpersonal violence and must be addressed as part of prevention efforts.
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. The President stressed that the directives establish responsibilities, deadlines, and a duty to submit regular reports to the nation. The initiatives support the implementation of key pillars of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, which guides the work of all spheres of government and society.
The President emphasized that preventing violence against women requires a societal shift in attitudes and behaviors. He noted that the primary GBV hotspot is in the home and in interpersonal relationships, and that men must take responsibility for addressing the issue. The President called on men to speak out against violence and to become better men, citing prominent figures such as Siya Kolisi and Temba Bavuma, who have used their platforms to urge men to confront violence against women.
Key points
- President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a four-point recovery plan to address violence against women and children
- The plan includes a national case-recovery operation, a funded plan to reduce forensic backlogs, women's safety audits, and a coordinated legislative and enforcement package to reduce alcohol-related violence
- The initiatives aim to expedite the processing of GBVF cases, create safer environments for women, and address the root causes of violence against women
