South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a new set of measures to combat gender-based violence, calling for a cultural shift among men after a wave of killings triggered national outrage. The announcement follows the discovery of 11 women’s bodies in the Ekurhuleni municipality since mid-July, an area neighboring Johannesburg. The municipality adjoining Johannesburg to the east, since 15 July, south Africa has been gripped by grief and fury after the discovery of 11 women’s bodies dumped across Ekurhuleni. Including Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, who was discovered on 12 September after she went missing when she went for a run after work, eight of the women were found in the last three weeks. According to ramaphosa, Suspects had been arrested in connection with three of the killings and that the other cases would not be left to go cold. Women march, the women of our country organise, they speak out, they protest, they confront and they comfort survivors,” Ramaphosa said. Avoid going out at night and warn one another about dangerous places and dangerous men. We have placed the burden of male violence on women.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday, Ramaphosa urged men to stop remaining silent and to actively challenge their peers who harass, abuse, or humiliate women. He criticized the long-standing societal norm that treats gender-based violence as a problem solely for women to navigate, noting that women are currently forced to adjust their daily routines and live in fear of their surroundings. Urging them to challenge relatives, friends and colleagues who harassed, humiliated or abused women. “It is time for good men to stop being silent men,” he said, he directly addressed South African men.
As part of the government’s response, the president mandated that police conduct a comprehensive review of unsolved murders, attempted killings, and serious sexual offenses against women and children. Authorities have been tasked with delivering a funded strategy to clear the existing forensic backlog within 60 days. While investigations into the Ekurhuleni deaths are ongoing, with arrests made in three cases, police have stated there is currently no evidence linking all 11 incidents to a single serial killer.
Local governments have been given a five-month window to remediate physical environments that undermine safety, specifically addressing issues like broken streetlights, neglected public spaces, and abandoned buildings. Additionally, a task force of five ministers must formulate a plan within 60 days to mitigate violence exacerbated by alcohol consumption.
Ramaphosa emphasized that while alcohol contributes to interpersonal violence, it provides no excuse for perpetrators. “Responsibility always lies with the perpetrator,” he stated, while highlighting that the government’s failure to maintain public infrastructure or enforce laws must not be allowed to persist.
Despite the official announcements, some activists and organizations have expressed skepticism regarding the long-term impact of these promises. Shenilla Mohamed of Amnesty International South Africa noted that these concerns are not new, highlighting that the country has engaged in similar discussions since large-scale protests in 2019 without effectively stemming the violence.
Representatives from Sonke Gender Justice, Mpiwa Mangwiro-Tsanga and Bafana Khumalo, welcomed the focus on infrastructure but argued that the government’s response remains reactive rather than preventive. They cautioned that simply demanding municipalities perform their existing duties does not constitute a robust or comprehensive strategy to end gender-based violence.
