In a televised address, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a four-point plan to tackle gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the country and said that violence against women in South Africa is a national shame. This follows the discovery of 11 women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, which reignited public anger and fear after repeated government pledges failed to curb gender-based violence.
In Cape Town, demonstrators take part in an awareness walk for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, while calling for stronger action against violence against women following a spate of killings in recent months around Johannesburg. Image credit: Reuters/Esa Alexander
According to Reuters, the victims are mostly aged in their 20s or 30s, and some have been found stripped and showing signs of sexual violence.
National shame
“There are women lying tonight in government mortuaries waiting to be identified, waiting for someone to claim them, waiting to be taken home and laid to rest. How can our hearts not be broken? How can we not be angry?” said Ramaphosa.
“The violence inflicted upon the women of South Africa is a source of profound pain and national shame. The nation is angry. The women of South Africa are angry.”
Ramaphosa said police had not found evidence that a serial killer was behind the 11 women’s deaths but said all possibilities were still under investigation.
He said arrests had been made in connection with three of the killings and reiterated that investigations into all of the deaths would not be allowed to go cold.
South Africa has one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the world, but policing is weakened by corruption and a lack of resources. Only about one in 10 murders is solved.
Four-point plan
Meanwhile, the president announced a four-point recovery plan to ensure cases are processed and perpetrators are brought to book, per SAnews.gov.
Ramaphosa said he has directed the acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, to undertake a national case-recovery operation focused on unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children.
He said individual recovery plans must be in place for priority cases as well as cases that have stalled.
“Within 60 days, this audit must identify the number and age of unresolved cases, cases awaiting forensic evidence, cases in which suspects have been identified but not arrested and cases in which investigative or prosecutorial action has been unreasonably delayed,” Ramaphosa explained.
Each plan, he said, must identify the outstanding action, the responsible official and the deadline for moving the case forward.
Ramaphosa said he has also directed Cachalia, the Acting National Commissioner of Police Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, and the relevant forensic authorities to present, within 60 days, a funded plan to reduce forensic backlogs and establish clear turnaround standards for priority gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases.
“The plan must set out the size and age of the backlog, shortages of personnel and equipment, the resources required and the dates by which the backlog will be reduced.”
Alcohol-related violence
Furthermore, Ramaphosa has directed the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, to work with the Ministers of Health, Social Development, Police and Cooperative Governance to submit a coordinated legislative and enforcement package to Cabinet within 60 days to reduce alcohol-related violence.
“Alcohol does not cause gender-based violence, and it can never excuse it. Responsibility always lies with the perpetrator. But harmful alcohol use is a significant aggravating factor in interpersonal violence, and it must be addressed as part of our wider prevention effort.
“Women should not have to live in fear because government has failed to repair a light, clear a public space, process evidence or enforce a law. Every sphere of government must understand that the safety of women is part of its responsibility,” the president said.
He further added that every sphere of government must understand that the safety of women is part of its responsibility.
In addition, the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will monitor these measures and issue consolidated public progress reports every quarter.
Virginia Francis 25 Aug 2026 Progress reports
Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the president said the first consolidated report must be issued within ninety days, with quarterly public progress reports thereafter, and stressed that the directives “are not just a statement of good intentions.”
These, he said, establish responsibilities, deadlines, and a duty to report to the nation regularly.
The directives support the accelerated implementation of key pillars of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which continues to guide the work underway across all spheres of government and all parts of society.
“We must prevent the violence before it starts because programmes, stronger laws, additional resources and more police officers will not, on their own, end violence against women.”
