NOKUTHULA NQABA | Decisive action against GBVF perpetrators protects women and children

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South Africa has taken important steps in responding to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). We have strengthened the legal and policy framework, adopted a National Strategic Plan, established a National Council on GBVF and classified GBVF as a national disaster. These measures matter: they give the country tools and institutions to co-ordinate its response.

But institutions and policies are a foundation, not the final measure of success. The test is whether women and children are safer in their homes, workplaces and communities; whether survivors can get help with dignity; and whether perpetrators are brought to justice.

The recent killings of women in Ekurhuleni have brought that test into sharp focus. Since July, the bodies of 11 women have been found in the area. Police are investigating the cases but have not said that all the deaths are connected. Each woman had a life, a family and a future. Their deaths have left communities grieving and fearful and remind us that protecting women cannot wait for the next national outcry. The president has directed that the cases be prioritised. The response must bring justice for those affected and practical action to prevent further violence.

The scale of the wider crisis is also clear. In the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, from April to June 2026, the South African Police Service recorded 50,511 GBVF cases. Of these, 30,736 resulted in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority. These figures show the scale of reported cases and the work entering the justice system. They do not tell us how many cases resulted in convictions, nor whether survivors are safer. Arrests and referrals are important steps, but they are not the end of the process.

We accept that it must help turn the measures already in place into lasting improvements. That calls for effective co-operation between police, prosecutors, health and social services and all spheres of government. It also calls for honest reporting on what is working, where cases are delayed and where survivors are still unable to access support. We should recognise progress where it is made and act decisively where delivery falls short.

For many survivors, the first encounter with the justice system is at a police station. Reporting abuse should mark the beginning of protection, not another ordeal. Complaints must be taken seriously, investigations conducted thoroughly and survivors treated with dignity. Where officers fail to fulfil their duties, there must be consequences.

Justice must extend beyond convictions. Survivors need accessible, compassionate support throughout the process

The recovery plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa includes reviewing unresolved cases involving women and children and reducing forensic backlogs. It should be judged by practical results: whether investigations move forward, forensic evidence is processed on time, cases reach court and victims and families receive answers. The National Council on GBVF also has an important role in co-ordinating and monitoring the national response. Its success will depend on whether it can help turn shared commitments into measurable action.

Justice must extend beyond convictions. Survivors need accessible, compassionate support throughout the process. Thuthuzela Care Centres provide integrated services intended to reduce the additional trauma associated with reporting and prosecuting sexual offences. But a service can only help when people can reach it. Transport costs, distance and a lack of information can all create barriers that the government and its partners must address.

Prevention is equally important. We cannot expect to reduce violence while controlling behaviour, entitlement and disrespect are tolerated in our homes, schools and communities. Families, religious institutions, community leaders and men and boys all have a role in challenging attitudes that normalise abuse. Economic vulnerability can also make it harder for a woman to leave an abusive relationship. Access to employment, skills development, safe accommodation and reliable support can expand her choices and strengthen prevention.

Safety also concerns the public spaces women use every day. A woman returning home after work should not have to navigate a dark street because a broken streetlight has gone unrepaired. A girl walking to school should not have to pass along an isolated, overgrown path. Municipalities do not investigate rape or prosecute offenders, but they influence safety through street lighting, transport facilities, infrastructure maintenance and urban planning.

The women’s safety audits announced by the president must lead to practical improvements. Residents should be told what risks have been identified, what action will follow and whether that action has been completed. With the local government elections approaching, communities also have a right to ask whether their safety concerns are being addressed by those responsible for local services.

The ANC will support regular public reporting on three areas: progress on unresolved cases and forensic delays; survivors’ access to support services; and municipal action on safety risks identified through women’s safety audits. Communities should be able to see where progress is being made, where delays remain and who is responsible for addressing them.

We should neither dismiss the progress made nor mistake plans and institutions for the work being finished. The test of our response is whether women and children can move through their communities safely, seek help without humiliation and trust that institutions will act when their safety is threatened. We must be judged by whether the commitments we support make a difference in people’s lives and by whether perpetrators are brought to justice.