Cyril Ramaphosa unveils 4-point plan to tackle gender-based violence

President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled a comprehensive four-point plan aimed at curbing the escalating scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa. The announcement comes amidst a national outcry following a series of brutal killings, including the recent discovery of 11 women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni.

The President emphasized that the government is shifting its approach to focus on prevention and systemic reform. He stated that the strategy involves a multi-disciplinary effort across various government departments and tiers of administration to ensure accountability and the effective processing of cases.

We cannot arrest our way out of this crisis alone. And we cannot wait until a woman is murdered before the State intervenes. Our task must be to prevent the violence before it happens. It is time for good men to stop being silent men.

As part of the plan, President Ramaphosa has directed the acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, to launch a national case-recovery operation. This initiative will specifically target unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes, and serious sexual offences involving women and children, with a mandate to establish individual recovery plans for stalled cases.

Furthermore, the President committed to allocating additional resources in the upcoming mid-term budget to strengthen the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units and to address the significant forensic backlogs currently hindering the criminal justice system.