Government has expressed deep concern that South Africa continues to battle unacceptably high levels of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) despite sustained national efforts to stem the flow of violence.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, made the remarks during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Cape Town on Thursday,
“Cabinet is deeply concerned that despite concerted efforts by government, civil society, businesses and communities to tackle the scourge, South Africa continues to grapple with alarming rates of GBVF,” the Minister told the media.
The Minister’s comments come as South Africa will observe the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign from 25 November to 10 December 2025, under the theme: "Letsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls working together to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)."
The campaign, which forms part of a global United Nations initiative, calls for collective action across society to raise awareness, mobilise communities, and strengthen accountability in efforts to eliminate violence against women and children.
Earlier this year, government launched the 90-Day Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Acceleration Programme, a national initiative aimed at ensuring “rapid and coordinated action” against the scourge and to “fast track the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF”.
“The 90-Day programme which was led by JCPS [Justice, Crime Prevention and Security] Cluster worked on urgent and impactful interventions to reverse the upward trend of GBVF in the country.
“These include the re-establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee [IMC] to ensure cooperation in the implementation of the GBVF National Strategic Plan,” she explained.
The Minister called on a whole of society approach to root out GBVF.
“We call upon South Africans to work with government as society, as family to prevent and stop the scourge of [GBV]. Gender-based violence occurs in our homes, in our communities so we are the first responders and have the power and the ability to stop it.
“Government comes in to protect and to respond to the actions of those who have already perpetrated GBVF. But we know that prevention is better than cure. So, this is a societal call to be united to address GBVF against our children and women,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za
