Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has acknowledged persistent shortcomings in the criminal justice system's response to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), despite progress in strengthening institutional capacity and survivor support services.
Chikunga said challenges relating to access to justice, secondary victimisation, case management, investigative capacity, conviction rates, and coordination continue to undermine the experiences of survivors within the criminal justice system.
The Minister was speaking during a strategic engagement with the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) on Friday, 13 November 2026, focusing on the implementation of Pillar 3 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (NSP-GBVF), which deals with Justice, Safety and Protection.
The engagement follows a CGE study examining implementation challenges under the pillar, including the reporting, victim support, investigation, prosecution and sentencing of GBVF cases.
Chikunga welcomed the Commission's oversight work, including its joint inquiry with the South African Human Rights Commission and the CRL Rights Commission, which included engagements in Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
She said the findings provided government with important evidence on the challenges experienced by survivors and the institutions responsible for supporting them.
“These challenges are real, and government remains committed to addressing them decisively,” Chikunga said.
Progress in Pillar 3 implementation
Providing an update on implementation, Chikunga noted that Pillar 3 recorded the strongest five-year performance among the six pillars of the NSP-GBVF.
Of the 54 indicators under the pillar, 31 have been achieved, while 14 are in progress, with nine not being achieved.
She said progress included the upgrading of 40 district courts to improve support for survivors of domestic violence, while 14 sexual offences courts were established in the financial year ending March 2026.
A total of 338 functional testimony facilities are also available to support remote or protected testimony.
In addition, 153 847 National Register for Sex Offenders clearance certificates have been issued over the past five years, with 79 179 issued by March 2026.
The Minister said the National Prosecuting Authority has also strengthened its response through specialised training, with 221 prosecutors having completed GBVF training against a target of 800.
Between January and June 2026, a further 1 185 law enforcement officers participated in GBV-related learning programmes aimed at improving investigations, prosecutions, and victim support services.
However, Chikunga warned that improvements in institutional capacity have not yet translated into consistently timely and survivor-centred outcomes.
She pointed to the worsening backlog of sexual offences cases and uneven evidence on how cases progress through the criminal justice system, the quality of services and survivors' experiences.
“Although system capacity has improved, timely, survivor-centred case outcomes remain the real test,” she said.
Strengthening reporting and accountability
The Minister said the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, as custodian of the NSP-GBVF, is strengthening monitoring, reporting, and accountability across government to improve implementation.
She highlighted that the department has established more than 40 Rapid Response Teams in districts and municipalities to improve coordination in responding to GBVF incidents.
The department has also deployed European Union-funded technical monitors and data collectors across provincial Offices of the Premiers to strengthen reporting and evidence-based planning.
Through the 100-Day Challenges initiative, implementation has expanded across all nine provinces, with between 46 and 50 municipalities participating. A national GBVF services dashboard has also been developed to map available services and support better planning and resource allocation.
Chikunga said the next phase of implementation will prioritise survivor-centred justice services, improved coordination across the criminal justice value chain, stronger data systems, and accountability across government departments.
The Minister reaffirmed government's commitment to working with the CGE and other stakeholders to address the identified gaps and improve services for survivors.
She reiterated that ending GBVF requires sustained collaboration between government, civil society, communities, and all sectors of society. – SAnews.gov.za
