The Rise of GBVF in South Africa:
By: Munei Zoë Mbedzi, Yanganani Gora, Lwanele Godlwana, Owam Gugushe, Zandile Mnisi, Onenceba Zondani and Ligugu Gogo
There is a misconception roaming around on the Internet that “gender-based violence in South Africa is at its all-time high” and that is not true. Gender-based violence in South Africa has always been at a high the numbers have never decreased and a large part of that is because our government continues to fail less. Gender-based violence being declared a national disaster in November 2025 was not out of urgency but rather out of an act to keep us as the woman of South Africa quiet and submissive to a system that does not favour us. As women we are tired of having to look over our shoulders when we want to take a walk, constantly being aware of our surroundings, tired of hearing about the lives lost to gender-based violence, we are tired of holding our breaths in Ubers, tired of watching videos on how to protect ourselves, tired of being paranoid, tired of yelling and having the government hear our voice but she’s not to listen to what it is we are saying and we are tired of our struggles going unnoticed.
In South Africa it is important that resources be distributed to gender-based violence so that South Africa is a more female friendly country. We need countries that are dedicated to ensuring that women in South Africa are safe by forming strategic international alliances and giving resources to communities and parts of the country that truly needed. We need organisations, leaders and institutions that are dedicated to wanting to see our women safe and we need men to rise, take accountability, and hold one another account accountable as well. As woman in this country we must be able to go to the post office, go on dates, go jogging, go on a run and go for a walk. Let us never forget the names of the woman that we have lost to gender-based violence in this country.
Femicide is the gender based killing of girls and women, and the most extreme form of Gender Based Violence (GBV). South Africa has extremely high rates of Femicide and Gender Based Violence, which is 5 times larger than the global average. On the 20th of November 2025, at the G20 Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that Femicide in South Africa is a national disaster, which highlights the crisis of this issue.
Femicide is nothing new to this country and historically has always been an issue in South Africa, but we are at a breaking point as women in this country are no longer living but surviving. The recent horrendous passing of Kempton Park runner, Elizabeth Tsontso Mosalakgomo, and the other 9 women (and counting) in Ekurhuleni, as there is a mass killing of women happening. Most of these women and many others who have died at the hands of Femicide were simply doing normal leisure activities, such as going for a run, but never made it back home, which is something that no woman should face.
Femicide is connected to the larger issue of GBV. Femicide can happen by a stranger, intimate partners, ex–partners, or family members. About 60% of femicide crimes are committed by intimate partners. South African women are not safe in their own homes.
Their abuse towards women reflects the attitudes of entitlement and possessiveness men have towards women in South Africa, and abuse in relationships is normalised in this country.
Statistics and the level of Femicide and Gender Based Violence will continue to grow and persist until the South African Police Service (SAPS) takes these matters seriously and victims are supported. Prosecutors should not be able to run scot-free but should face the appropriate punishment for their actions. Women in this country are tired of being vigilant, tired of the anxiety, tired of taking precautions just to be alive. Just as this country is free, women in this country should also be free.
Ukonyuka kobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini eMzantsi Afrika.
Kukho imbono ephosakeleyo ejikelezayo kwi-Intanethi yokuba “ubundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini eMzantsi Afrika bukwi-high” yayo yonke kwaye ayiyonyani. Ubundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini eMzantsi Afrika bebusoloko buphezulu amanani awazange ehle kwaye inxalenye enkulu yoko kungenxa yokuba urhulumente wethu usaqhubeka nokusilela.
Ubundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini obubhengezwe njengentlekele yesizwe ngoNovemba ka-2020 25 abuzange bubekho ngokukhawuleza kodwa buphuma kwisenzo sokusigcina singowasetyhini waseMzantsi Afrika sithule kwaye sithobela inkqubo engasithandiyo. Njengabafazi sidiniwe kukujonga emagxeni ethu xa sifuna ukuhamba, sihlala siqaphela indawo esingqongileyo, sidiniwe kukuva ngobomi obulahlekileyo kubundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini, sidiniwe kukubamba umoya wethu e-Ubers, ndidiniwe kukubukela iividiyo ngendlela yokuzikhusela, sidinwe kukuphambana, sidinwe kukuphambana sidiniwe kukukhwaza nokuba urhulumente alive ilizwi lethu kodwa akafuni kuphulaphula le nto siyithethayo kwaye sidiniwe kukusokola kwethu kungaqatshelwa.
EMzantsi Afrika, kubalulekile ukuba izibonelelo nezixhobo ezaneleyo zabelwe ukujongana nobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini, ukuze kwakhiwe ilizwe elikhuselekileyo nelinobubele ngakumbi kubantu basetyhini. Kufuneka kwakhiwe intsebenziswano yobuchule namazwe ngamazwe, kuquka ukusekwa kobudlelwane namazwe kunye nemibutho yamazwe ngamazwe ezinikele ekuqinisekiseni ukhuseleko lwabasetyhini eMzantsi Afrika. Kananjalo, izibonelelo kufuneka zabelwe uluntu kunye neendawo ezisemaphandleni nasezidolophini apho imfuno yokuthintela nokulwa nobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini inkulu khona.
Sifuna imibutho, iinkokeli kunye namaziko azimiseleyo ekukhuseleni amalungelo, isidima kunye nokhuseleko lwabasetyhini. Kufuneka amadoda nawo athathe uxanduva olusebenzayo ekulweni nobundlobongela obujoliswe kwabasetyhini, ngokuthatha uxanduva ngezenzo zawo nangokukhuthazana ukuba aphendule ngezenzo zobundlobongela, ucalucalulo kunye nokuxhatshazwa.
Njengabasetyhini beli lizwe, kufuneka sikwazi ukuphila ubomi bethu bemihla ngemihla ngaphandle koloyiko. Kufuneka sikwazi ukuya eposini, ukuya kwimihla yokuthandana, ukubaleka okanye ukwenza umthambo, kunye nokuhamba ngeenyawo kwiindawo esihlala kuzo, ngaphandle kokoyika ukuba ubomi okanye ukhuseleko lwethu lusengozini.
Masingaze silibale amagama abasetyhini abaphulukene nobomi babo ngenxa yobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini eMzantsi Afrika. Ukukhumbula la magama kuthetha ukuhlonipha ubomi babo, ukuxhasa iintsapho zabo, kunye nokuzibophelela ekwakheni uluntu apho akukho mfazi okanye ntombazana ekufuneka iphile phantsi koloyiko lobundlobongela.
Ukubulawa kwabasetyhini ngenxa yesini sabo (femicide) luhlobo olubi kakhulu lobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini (GBV). UMzantsi Afrika unamanqanaba aphezulu kakhulu okubulawa kwabasetyhini kunye nobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini, amanqanaba aphindwe kahlanu kunomndilili wehlabathi. Ngomhla wama-20 kweyeNkanga ngo-2025, kwintlanganiso ye-G20, uMongameli uCyril Ramaphosa wabhengeza ukuba ukubulawa kwabasetyhini eMzantsi Afrika yintlekele yesizwe, nto leyo ebonisa ubungakanani bale ngxaki.
Le ngxaki yokubulawa kwabasetyhini ayintsha kweli lizwe kwaye ibisoloko ikho imbali yonke, kodwa ngoku sikwinqanaba elinzima kakhulu apho abasetyhini bengasaphili ubomi obuqhelekileyo kodwa bezama nje ukusinda. Oku kubonakala kwimeko ebuhlungu yokubulawa kombaleki waseKempton Park, u-Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo, kunye nabanye abasetyhini abasithoba (kwaye inani liya lisanda) e-Ekurhuleni, njengoko kukho ukubulawa kwabasetyhini ngobuninzi. Uninzi lwaba basetyhini, kunye nabanye abaninzi ababuleweyo ngolu hlobo, babesenza izinto eziqhelekileyo zokuzonwabisa-njengokuya kubaleka-kodwa abazange babuyele emakhaya; le yimeko ekungafanelanga ukuba ibonwe okanye ifikelele nakubani na ongumfazi.
Ukubulawa kwabasetyhini (femicide) kunxulumene nomba obanzi wogonyamelo olusekelwe kwisini (GBV). Oku kubulala kunokwenziwa ngumntu ongaziwayo, amaqabane othando, amaqabane angaphambili, okanye amalungu osapho. Malunga nama-60% eemeko zokubulawa kwabasetyhini zenziwa ngamaqabane othando. Abafazi baseMzantsi Afrika abakhuselekanga kumakhaya abo. Ukuxhatshazwa kwabasetyhini kubonakalisa indlela amadoda aziva ngayo ukuba anelungelo lokulawula okanye ukuba nabo njengempahla, kwaye ukuxhatshazwa kubudlelwane kuthathwa njengento eqhelekileyo kweli lizwe
Amanani kunye nenqanaba lokubulawa kwabasetyhini kunye nobundlobongela obusekelwe kwisini kuya kuqhubeka kukhula kwaye ziqhubeke de inkonzo yamapolisa aseMzantsi Afrika (SAPS) ithathe le micimbi nzulu kwaye amaxhoba axhaswe. Abenzi bobubi akufuneki bakwazi ukubaleka bengenatyala kodwa kufuneka bajongane nesohlwayo esifanelekileyo ngezenzo zabo. Abafazi kweli lizwe badiniwe kukuhlala bephaphile, badiniwe kukuxhalaba, badiniwe kukuthatha amanyathelo okhuseleko ukuze baphile. Kanye njengokuba eli lizwe likhululekile, abafazi kweli lizwe nabo kufuneka bakhululeke.
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