03 AUGUST 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) Parliamentary Caucus welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decisive appointment of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
The appointment of GBVF Council is a bold and necessary step in strengthening South Africa’s fight against one of the most brutal and shameful pandemics confronting our democracy.
As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month, we cannot celebrate the achievements of women while remaining silent about the violence that continues to steal their lives, destroy families and leave communities traumatised.
Every woman murdered, every child abused and every survivor forced to live with unbearable pain is a reminder that the struggle for freedom is incomplete. The violence inflicted on women is an attack on our Constitution, our humanity and the values upon which our democratic South Africa was built.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus believes that the appointment of the National Council comes at a defining moment. The declaration of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as a national disaster demands decisive leadership, coordinated action and unwavering accountability. The Council has a historic responsibility to drive the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, strengthen survivor-centred support, confront harmful social norms, improve the criminal justice response and ensure that women are empowered economically to break cycles of abuse and dependence.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus congratulates Dr Ramalepe Lebogang Mathibe on her appointment as Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson Welheminah R. (Shoki) Tshabalala and all members of the Council. We have every confidence that they will serve with integrity, courage and compassion in advancing the constitutional promise that every person has the right to live free from violence, fear and discrimination.
Women’s Month must never be reduced to symbolic speeches and commemorative events. It must be a month of action, accountability and measurable progress. The true measure of our commitment to women will not be found in the words we speak, but in the lives we save, the justice we deliver and the opportunities we create for women to live with dignity, equality and hope.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus calls on every sector of society, government, Parliament, law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious leaders, business, civil society, communities and families to unite behind this national effort.
Ending Gender-Based Violence and Femicide is not a responsibility for government alone; it is a moral obligation that belongs to every South African.
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus stands firmly behind the President’s intervention and will continue to exercise robust parliamentary oversight to ensure that the National Council delivers tangible results. South Africa’s women have waited long enough.
This Women’s Month must mark the beginning of a renewed national resolve to build a country where every woman and girl can live without fear, realise her full potential and take her rightful place at the centre of our nation’s development.
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS
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