President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially established the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) in South Africa as a significant step towards combating gender-based violence in the country.
The new statutory body is intended to strengthen accountability and leadership in addressing one of the state's most pressing social issues. Appointments, which were announced on Friday, will begin on August 1 and run until July 31, 2029.
The Council was created based on the National Council on Gender-Based Violence Act of 2024. Its mandate is to provide strategic direction to efforts to eradicate Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), as well as to coordinate the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for GBVF across various government structures and sectors.
The President appointed Dr. Ramalephe Lebogang Matibe as the council's chairperson and Velhemina 'Shoki' Tshabalalu as deputy chairperson. Other members of the council include Keitumetse Fatimata Mutloatse, Caroline Peters, Dr. Zubeda Dangor, Wuisive Numalo, Anele Sisvana, and TUM Limema.
The Presidency announced that the council must strengthen collaboration between the government, civil society, and local communities. It will also facilitate the implementation of violence prevention measures, improve victim support, strengthen law enforcement agencies, and promote women's economic empowerment.
Speaking after the announcement of the appointments, Ramaphosa expressed confidence that the new council will lend greater authority to South Africa's response to the GBVF issue. He stated: 'We have appointed the Gender-Based Violence Council to lead the process of ensuring that we reduce and eliminate gender-based violence in our country.' He added that he holds great hope in the ability of the appointed women to tackle the issue of gender-based violence and guide the country toward a more focused solution.
Ramaphosa noted that he had expected this council's appointment through parliamentary procedures, and now they will have more voices and more authority to fight gender-based violence. He also emphasized that they will ensure funding for the council's work through the budget.
These appointments come months after Ramaphosa declared gender-based violence and femicide a national problem, calling the level of violence against women and children unacceptable and calling for a more coordinated national response. Bridget Masango, Chairperson of the Social Development Portfolio Committee, welcomed the declaration, noting that the government needs to move from statements to accelerated implementation of measures to protect women and children.
The committee has repeatedly called on departments and law enforcement agencies to accelerate the implementation of the National Integrated Strategy for Femicide Prevention and improve coordination in implementing the National Strategic Plan for GBVF. A study presented to Parliament by the South African Medical Research Council demonstrated the scale of the crisis. According to the study, approximately 10,972 women have been victims of femicide over the past 20 years, with three women dying daily due to intimate partner violence. It was also found that one in four women experienced physical or sexual violence.
The National Strategic Plan for GBVF, adopted in 2020, serves as South Africa's roadmap for addressing violence against women and children.
