President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: The Presidency
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced four immediate measures aimed at strengthening South Africa’s response to gender-based violence and femicide, including a national review of unresolved cases and compulsory women’s safety audits by municipalities.
Ramaphosa addressed the nation following renewed concern over violence against women, including the discovery of 11 women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni since July. Several arrests have already been made, while police continue investigating the remaining cases.
The President said government’s response to gender-based violence had not been sufficient and acknowledged that more needed to be done to prevent violence and improve the protection of women.
National review of unresolved cases
The first measure will see the Police and Justice ministries, together with SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority, undertake a national case-recovery operation focusing on unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children.
Within 60 days, authorities must identify unresolved cases, their age, cases awaiting forensic evidence and instances where suspects have been identified but not arrested. Recovery plans for priority and stalled cases must be developed within 90 days.
Forensic backlogs targeted
Government has also been instructed to develop a funded plan within 60 days to reduce forensic backlogs and establish turnaround standards for priority GBV and femicide cases.
Priority forensic samples relating to the rape or murder of women and children are to receive urgent attention, while progress must be reported publicly every quarter.
Municipalities ordered to conduct women’s safety audits
Every municipality has been instructed to begin a women’s safety audit and identify high-risk areas in cooperation with provincial governments and police.
Within 60 days, the audits must identify hazards including broken streetlights, overgrown public areas, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes and poorly secured parks.
The most urgent problems must either be addressed within 90 days after the audit or included in funded implementation plans with clear completion dates. Results and progress must also be made public.
Provincial and municipal authorities have further been told to intensify enforcement of liquor laws and by-laws, particularly against unlicensed establishments and businesses operating outside permitted hours.
Alcohol-related violence
The fourth measure requires several national departments to develop a coordinated legislative and enforcement package aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence within 60 days.
Ramaphosa stressed that alcohol does not cause or excuse gender-based violence, but said harmful alcohol use can aggravate interpersonal violence.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee and National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide will monitor implementation, with the first consolidated progress report expected within 90 days and reports every quarter thereafter.
Ramaphosa also called on men and boys to take a more active role in confronting attitudes and behaviour that enable violence against women, saying prevention had to begin in homes, schools, workplaces, sporting organisations and communities.
He said South Africa could not rely on policing and arrests alone to solve the crisis and urged society to focus more strongly on preventing violence before it occurs.