Following the classification of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as a National Disaster in late 2025, the national conversation has shifted from legislative progress to a demand for immediate, measurable action.

A year after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA) heralded significant legal strides, civil society groups are now pressuring the government to swiftly translate symbolic recognition into dedicated resources and concrete operational plans, arguing that the 2026 SONA failed to provide the necessary detail.

In February 2025, President Ramaphosa assured the nation of a coordinated response to the crisis, citing the promulgation of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Act. He promised that the new national structure would be “fully functional and properly resourced.”

The President noted that 65 Thuthuzela Care Centres were operational, 44 out of 52 districts had GBV shelters, all police stations offered victim-friendly services, and an expansion of judicial capacity was on the cards with the establishment of 16 new sexual offences courts in the subsequent financial year.

However, the period between the two addresses saw mounting pressure from activists, culminating in the official classification of GBVF as a National Disaster on November 20, 2025, following mobilisation by over a million people.

Addressing the nation again this week, President Ramaphosa centred his approach around this new classification.

“Last year, gender-based violence and femicide was classified as a national disaster. Through this classification, we are able to better coordinate our response and direct efforts towards the most impactful interventions,” he stated.

Building on the National Strategic Plan, the 2026 address recommitted the government to a multi-pronged strategy: mobilising all sectors to challenge harmful attitudes, promoting women’s economic empowerment through training and preferential procurement, and strengthening law enforcement with faster investigation and expanded sexual offences courts.

The President also promised to scale up survivor-centred support, ensuring access to shelters, one-stop service centres, and the placement of social workers in police stations.

Yet, for advocacy groups, the 2026 speech fell short of providing the necessary operational detail that a national disaster classification demands.

Social justice organisation Women For Change expressed deep concern, noting the lack of substantive detail regarding the implementation and budget allocation for the GBVF National Disaster.

The organisation acknowledged the references to operationalising the National Council, expanding courts, and adding shelters, but critiqued these as “long-standing promises repeated in previous SONA addresses and speeches, predating the National Disaster classification.”

Women For Change founder Sabrina Walter said: “Classifying GBVF as a National Disaster created a promise to act with urgency. Nearly three months later, survivors are still waiting to see that urgency reflected in budgets, timelines, and accountable leadership.

“A disaster response cannot be measured in speeches; it must be measured in lives saved,” Walter said, pointing out that President Ramaphosa dedicated a mere 72 seconds of a 100-minute speech to the crisis.

Similarly, Oxfam South Africa, while welcoming the continued classification and commitments to expand services, insisted that “meaningful progress depends on dedicated and ring-fenced funding, programmes and projects to eradicate GBV and femicide.”

Meanwhile, the process to appoint the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) by the oversight body established by the 2025 Act has been marked by significant delays.

The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities only recently concluded interviews for candidates in February 2026.

Committee chairperson Liezl van der Merwe explained that the delay was due to critical constitutional oversight, including concerns over the Council’s funding, a proposed ‘bloated’ 24-member secretariat, and the lack of compensation for civil society representatives.

“The Committee exercised its constitutional oversight and due diligence role, ensuring that given current budget constraints, the NCGBVF does not stray from its mandate through a bloated administrative structure or duplication of duties,” Van der Merwe stated.

The committee is set to adopt its final report of recommended candidates by February 24, 2026.

“The Committee is committed to ensuring that the Council is adequately resourced and fit for purpose,” said Van der Merwe.

The National Council will function as an oversight body, ensuring accountability across government, civil society, and private business. Its core role is coordinating the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.

Key objectives include oversight, coordination, prevention, survivor support, and research. The Council will oversee the National Strategic Plan’s execution, ensuring all stakeholders fulfil their mandates, and will promote collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, and community organisations to maximise intervention effectiveness.

karen.singh@inl.co.za

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