By Jacobs Botha,
The South African government has issued a stark warning that the country remains engulfed in a crisis of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), despite ramped-up national interventions and years of public mobilisation.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni delivered the message during a post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town on Thursday, saying Cabinet is “deeply concerned” that GBVF levels remain unacceptably high and continue to rise in parts of the country.
“Despite concerted efforts by government, civil society, businesses and communities, South Africa continues to grapple with alarming rates of GBVF,” she said.
The warning comes days before the start of this year’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, which will run from 25 November to 10 December under the theme Letsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls working together to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
The campaign, part of a global UN initiative, aims to galvanise community action and strengthen accountability in the fight against violence targeting women and children.
In an effort to accelerate progress, government earlier this year launched the 90-Day GBVF Acceleration Programme, designed to fast-track urgent interventions and reinforce implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. Led by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, the programme included the reinstatement of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF to sharpen coordination across departments.
Ntshavheni stressed that while government is stepping up its response, the battle cannot be won without community-level action.
“Gender-based violence occurs in our homes and in our communities. We are the first responders and have the power to stop it,” she said. “Government can act after the harm has occurred, but prevention depends on society. This is a collective call to protect our women and children.”
With the 16 Days campaign nearing, government’s message is clear: reversing South Africa’s GBVF crisis now demands urgent, united action across all sectors of society.
