As South Africa observes the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, government’s designation of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national crisis has been welcomed by advocacy groups.
Sindisiwe Msimango, Mpumalanga representative for the National Shelter Movement of South Africa, described the declaration as long overdue.
“Naming GBV as a national crisis validates the lived realities of survivors and signals that the country can no longer treat GBVF as routine or isolated incidents it is a national emergency requiring coordinated action,” she said.
Msimango also raised concerns about police stations, where survivors are often turned away or receive inadequate assistance. While capacity exists within the South African Police Service (SAPS), she says it is inconsistently applied and undermined by poor oversight, corruption, and insufficient training.
“Police must respond rapidly to GBV-related calls and treat them as high-risk emergencies. Leadership must demonstrate commitment not only through statements, but through decisive action, measurable performance standards, and enforcing consequences where officers fail survivors,” Msimango added.
Crime statistics for the fourth quarter (January to March) highlight the severity of the crisis: 13,452 sexual offences were recorded, including 10,688 cases of rape and 1,872 sexual assaults.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) acknowledges the scale of the challenge but stresses its successes in handling GBV cases. Deputy NDPP Anton du Plessis said, “The NPA prosecutes thousands of gender-based violence cases each year successfully. Our Thuthuzela Care Centre model, linked to sexual offences courts, has been emulated across Africa and globally.”
However, Du Plessis emphasised that prosecution alone cannot end the crisis. “We need to change the societal norms that are driving it. This must be led by men in leadership, law enforcement, and within the NPA as part of collective action,” he said.
NPA Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Mkhuseli Jokani echoed this sentiment, calling on communities to play a role in prevention. “Gender-based violence has been declared a national crisis, so it cannot be business as usual. We need to mobilise men to take an active role in preventing violence and changing harmful social norms,” he said.
In response, government has launched the National Strategic Plan to address GBV, which includes faster response protocols and the prioritisation of a backlog of over 50,000 DNA tests linked to GBV cases.
The declaration and new strategic measures come as part of a broader effort to ensure accountability, protect survivors, and drive societal change to curb the country’s enduring gender-based violence epidemic.