By Priya Ranchod
President Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered an emotional and urgent address to the nation on Tuesday evening (29 September 2026), acknowledging that South Africa's efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) have fallen short, while announcing a series of measures aimed at tackling the crisis and bringing perpetrators to justice.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Ramaphosa said the recent discovery of multiple women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni had once again exposed the devastating reality faced by women across the country. The President described the violence as a source of "profound pain and national shame", expressing solidarity with grieving families and the many South Africans outraged by the continued killings of women and girls.
The address followed the discovery of an eleventh woman’s body in Springs over the weekend, bringing renewed national focus to the murders that have shaken communities throughout Ekurhuleni since July. Ramaphosa paid tribute to the known victims and reminded the country that countless others remain unnamed, unidentified, and forgotten.
He said the killings were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of violence that continues to rob women of their lives, safety and dignity. While recognising the work already undertaken by government, the President admitted that existing interventions have not been sufficient to prevent women from being harmed in their homes, workplaces, educational institutions, public spaces and communities.
Ramaphosa announced that the Ekurhuleni investigations have been elevated to a national level under the coordination of the Deputy National Commissioner for Detective Services. The multidisciplinary investigation now includes crime intelligence, forensic specialists, digital investigators and investigative psychologists.
Several arrests have already been made in connection with some of the murders, while investigators continue to pursue leads in other cases through forensic analysis, DNA testing, cellphone records and digital evidence. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has also been brought in to assist with the investigation.
Although public speculation has suggested the possibility of a serial offender, Ramaphosa said police have not yet found evidence linking the murders to a single perpetrator, adding that all possibilities remain under investigation.
The President appealed to communities to assist law enforcement agencies by reporting missing persons immediately and sharing any information that could aid investigations. He stressed that there is no requirement to wait 24 hours before reporting someone missing, noting that critical evidence can be lost when delays occur.
Beyond the immediate investigations, Ramaphosa outlined government’s broader response to the GBVF crisis. He highlighted strengthened support for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, the expansion of Sexual Offences Courts and Thuthuzela Care Centres, increased shelter services and efforts to improve the processing of forensic evidence.
The President also announced four immediate interventions designed to strengthen accountability and improve outcomes for victims and their families.
The first is a nationwide review and recovery operation focusing on unresolved murders, rapes, attempted murders and serious sexual offences involving women and children. Government departments have been instructed to audit unresolved cases within 60 days and implement recovery plans for priority cases within 90 days.
Secondly, police and forensic authorities have been ordered to develop a funded strategy to reduce forensic backlogs and fast-track the processing of evidence in GBVF cases.
The third intervention requires every municipality in South Africa to conduct women’s safety audits to identify environmental risks such as broken streetlights, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes and neglected public spaces. Municipalities will be required to address urgent hazards and publicly report on progress.
The fourth measure focuses on reducing alcohol-related violence. Ramaphosa has directed various government departments to prepare a coordinated legislative and enforcement package aimed at addressing the role harmful alcohol abuse plays in escalating violent crime.
Despite the extensive measures announced, the President stressed that government action alone will not solve the crisis.
He argued that gender-based violence begins long before a crime is committed, taking root in attitudes that treat women as inferior, excuse controlling behaviour and normalise abuse. He called on South Africans to confront harmful beliefs and behaviours that continue to fuel violence against women.
In one of the strongest sections of his speech, Ramaphosa addressed the men and boys of South Africa directly, urging them to take responsibility for challenging abusive conduct within their families, workplaces, friendship circles and communities.
He said gender-based violence has too often been treated as a problem for women to solve, while women continue to carry the burden of protecting themselves from male violence. True change, he argued, will only come when men actively challenge those who abuse, harass and disrespect women.
The President emphasised that responsibility for violence always rests with the perpetrator and never with the victim. No clothing choice, argument, relationship dispute or rejection, he said, can ever justify abuse, assault or murder.
As the country prepares to observe the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, Ramaphosa called for a united national effort involving communities, faith-based organisations, schools, sporting bodies, traditional leaders and civil society organisations.
Concluding his address, the President said South Africa must move beyond mourning and condemnation towards meaningful action. He challenged the nation to ensure that seven years from now, no President would need to stand before South Africans and repeat the same message.
His call was clear: the fight against gender-based violence and femicide must become a national mission, driven not only by government intervention, but by a collective commitment to ensure every woman and girl can live in freedom, dignity and safety.