Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of South Africa on Friday to protest against the country’s deep-rooted gender-based violence and femicide, demanding that the crisis be formally declared a national disaster.
Gender violence remains rampant in South Africa, where, according to United Nations figures, one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse during their lifetime.
The protest in Pretoria — one of several held across the country — culminated at the Union Buildings, the seat of government next to the presidential residence, where campaigners handed over a petition to a deputy minister.
Dressed in black, the demonstrators included reigning Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux. They held placards with messages such as “My body is not a crime scene!” and chanted slogans to express frustration over government inaction.
“It is time for change. We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over and nothing happens,” said Siphiwe George, founder of Women Waging War, who travelled nine hours to take part in the rally.
George explained that classifying gender violence as a national disaster would unlock new resources and support, particularly for sheltering survivors of abuse.
The UN has described South Africa, with a population of 62 million, as having some of the highest rates of violence against women and children globally. Police records show an average of at least 129 rapes are reported each day, although the gender of victims is not always specified.
“We are the rape capital of the world. Our statistics are horrific,” said Bulelwa Adonis, a spokesperson for Women for Change. “Our country has shown time and again that this is a pandemic. It must be declared a national disaster. Enough is enough.”
One recent case that provoked national outrage involved the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl at her school last year. No arrests have yet been made. The incident only gained wider attention last month after the child’s mother spoke about it in a podcast and local news coverage followed.
Witney Stander, whose sister was murdered in 2023, stressed the need for perpetrators to face consequences. “We just want some accountability and action,” she told AFP.
Her mother, Ntombifuthi Stander, criticised the police for their lack of urgency on the day her daughter died. “They refused to come out and help us,” she said. “We are crying… that day was a nightmare.”
While political leaders have acknowledged the crisis, critics say progress has been slow. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that urgent reforms were needed to close legal loopholes that hinder justice for victims.
“Laws cannot just be written, they must be enforced,” he told a women judges’ conference. “Perpetrators must be held accountable, and the sentences they are given should reflect the seriousness of their crimes.”
