President Cyril Ramaphosa appoints new GBVFCouncil: A test of action, not promises

By Nomahlubi Charlie

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed South Africa’s first statutory GBVF Council members

for a three-year term from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029. The members of the GBVF Council

consists of Dr Ramalepe Lebogang Mathibe, who is the chairperson; Welheminah R. (Shoki)

Tshabalala, who is the deputy chairperson; Dr Zubeda Dangor, a clinical psychologist and

GBV specialist; and Ms Keitumetse Fatimata Moutloatse, Ms Caroline Peters, Ms Vuyisiwe

Nxumalo, Mr Anele Siswana, and Mr TWM Limema. The timing of the National Council on

Gender-Based Violence and Femicide is explicitly timed to coincide with the start of

Women’s Month in South Africa. This council aims to provide strategic leadership in

addressing gender-based violence and femicide and create a society where gender-based

violence and femicide are unacceptable and where survivors can seek and receive support

without fear or trauma.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa- Image via Polity.org.za

President Ramaphosa appointed the new GBVF council to fulfil the National Council on

Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Act (Act No. 9 of 2024). This appointment of the

council marks a significant step in the country’s effort to turn its response to gender-based

violence and femicide (GBVF) into a more coordinated national programme. Funding is

more likely to be one of its major challenges. In 2025, Parliament raised concerns that the

funds allocation for the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)

was insufficient to meet the challenges that the council aims to address. The Chairperson,

Ms Liezl van der Merwe, addressed that issue by making a statement claiming, “It is

imperative that we advocate for a budget that reflects the significance of this issue. The

Council must be adequately funded to fulfil its mandate”. This highlights the challenges of

funding and institutional support facing a newly appointed South African GBVF Council, and

that leadership alone cannot ensure the success of the Council.

South African Women and Men marching against gender based violence and femicide in 2025- Image via Modern Opulent Gazette

Ramaphosa said he believed that the council would bring greater authority to

South Africa’s response to GBVF. He said, “We’ve appointed the Gender-Based Violence

Council to lead the process of ensuring that we bring down and eliminate gender-based

violence in our country. “I have great confidence in the ability of those women that we have appointed to address the issue of gender-based violence much more purposefully".

“I’ve been waiting for this council to be appointed through the parliamentary processes, and

now we’re going to have more voices, more authority to tackle the issue of gender-based

violence. We will capacitate them through the budget to ensure that they do their work.” At the time, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Bridget

Masango, supported the declaration but emphasised that government needed to turn its

promises into concrete action and speed up efforts to protect women and children. The

committee has consistently urged the government departments and law enforcement

agencies to prioritise the implementation of the National Integrated Strategy on the

Prevention of Femicide and strengthen cooperation in carrying out the National Strategic

Plan on GBVF.

Article edited by: Munei Zoe Mbedzi