South Africa President Announces Urgent Measures to Combat Gender-Based Violence

In a televised address on Tuesday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to a recent spate of femicide in the Ekurhuleni municipality east of Johannesburg. He announced emergency actions, including a 90-day deadline for a national plan to reduce forensic backlogs and a 60-day audit of unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children. A specialised multidisciplinary task team of detectives, crime-intelligence officers, forensic experts, investigative psychologists and digital investigators has been elevated to national level. The president also directed the ministries of police and justice to develop a funded plan to clear backlogs and set turnaround standards for priority gender-based-violence (GBV) cases.

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Since July 15, South Africa has been gripped by grief after the discovery of multiple women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni. Over the past two months, eleven women were found murdered, with eight discovered in the three weeks preceding the address, including Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, whose body was recovered on September 12. The killings have revived public outrage that first erupted in 2019 when women protested high rates of GBV and femicide.

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• 11 women murdered in and around Ekurhuleni since mid-July.

‘Violence Against Women In This Country Inhuman’: South African President Sets 90-Day Deadline For Crisis Fix

• 8 victims located within the three weeks before the speech.

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• A 5-month deadline for local governments to address safety-related infrastructure deficiencies (e.g., broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces).

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• Ministers tasked with delivering a 60-day plan to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence and a 90-day national strategy to clear forensic backlogs.

South African President Ramaphosa announces new measures to combat gender-based violence

Ramaphosa called the crisis a national disgrace, ordered police to review unsolved cases, and announced additional resources for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, as well as the expansion of Sexual Offences Courts. He urged men to intervene and challenge harassment or abuse. Municipalities were instructed to repair unsafe public spaces, and five ministers were given 60 days to produce a plan targeting alcohol-related aggravating factors in interpersonal violence.

South African President Ramaphosa announces new measures to combat gender-based violence

Representatives of Sonke Gender Justice, Mpiwa Mangwiro-Tsanga and Bafana Khumalo argued that the response remains overly focused on post-violence measures such as forensic processing and infrastructure repair, and lacks a comprehensive prevention strategy. They expressed concern that municipalities are being asked to fulfil mandates they have historically failed to deliver.

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• “Alcohol does not cause gender-based violence and it can never excuse it. Responsibility always lies with the perpetrator,” — Cyril Ramaphosa

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• “I address you tonight with the heaviest of hearts. I speak as president of the Republic. I also speak as a man, as a husband and as a father to daughters,” — Cyril Ramaphosa

South African President Ramaphosa announces new measures to combat gender-based violence

• The 60-day audit must identify case backlogs, victim ages and unreasonable delays.

South African President Ramaphosa announces new measures to combat gender-based violence

• The 90-day national plan will be funded and implemented within the same period.

South African President Ramaphosa announces new measures to combat gender-based violence

• Local governments have five months to remediate unsafe public spaces and improve lighting in high-risk areas.

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These measures aim to close investigative gaps and improve safety, while civil-society groups stress that effective implementation and accountability will be essential to curb the ongoing wave of gender-based violence.

The Guardian