Between January and March this year 966 women and 314 children were murdered in South Africa, according to recent statistics released by the SAPS, which was another grim reminder of GBV proliferation in the country.

It was also staggering to note that in 2023/24 term, 24 942 women were murdered, included in that number was a 29-year-old woman from Jakkalspan, Newcastle, who was strangled to death by husband.

The 41-year-old man, who confessed to the July 2024 murder, was sentenced to life behind bars, at the Madadeni Regional Court in Northern KwaZulu-Natal yesterday.

The accused believed that his wife had cheated on him.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the couple lived together as husband and wife since the accused had paid a portion of lobola to her family, and they had four children together.

“On the evening of 11 July 2024, the accused and his wife were alone at home when a quarrel broke out between them. This is because he suspected her of cheating on him. The quarrel escalated, and the accused strangled her to death.”

Ramkisson-Kara said the man then went to his brother’s homestead, and related to him what had transpired. He told his brother that he was going to hand himself over to the police.

At the police station, he reported to the officer on duty what he had done. The police took him back to his homestead, where he showed them his wife’s body. He was then arrested and charged with murder,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

In court, prosecutor Zama Zikalala led the testimony of the accused’s brother and the police official in question. 

“The postmortem results were also handed in to the court. In aggravation of sentence, Zikalala told the court that the accused had a previous conviction for assaulting the deceased on a prior occasion. The accused was sentenced accordingly, and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

“We remain committed to the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said it is deeply saddening to witness continued violence perpetrated against women and children across all sectors of society.

“Between January and March 2025 alone, 966 women and 314 children were murdered. In the first quarter of this year, 5,727 people lost their lives to murder and over 24,000 sexual offences were reported and 10,688 reported cases of rape.

“These are not mere statistics. They represent shattered lives, broken families, and communities living in trauma. Year after year, the same systemic failures are raised, and year after year, they remain unresolved. South Africa does not lack insight into the root causes and consequences of GBVF; what is missing is decisive leadership and meaningful implementation,” said Monakali.

While commemorating Women’s Month, Monakali said they remained deeply concerned about the low conviction rate of offenders and the persistently high prevalence of violence against women and children in South Africa. 

“We must ask ourselves critical questions: Are we truly winning the fight against GBVF, or are we more concerned with creating the appearance of progress, ticking boxes, and meeting targets on paper while failing survivors in reality? The latter appears to be true.

“We cannot claim to be making any real progress until women are free from all forms of violence and discrimination. Thirty-one years into democracy, the continued prevalence of GBVF is a clear indication that the promise of freedom remains unfulfilled for far too many,” said Monakali.

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

Source link