Women's Black Friday of mourning, defiance

Women For Change has vowed not to stop until government declares gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national disaster.

- Marizka Coetzer

Last week, the organisation handed over a petition at the Union Buildings, only to have it rejected by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), which claimed existing frameworks were sufficient.

But activists argue those very systems have failed - five years after R21 billion was promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa to fight GBV, there are still no public reports, no transparency and no accountability, while 5 578 women were murdered in a single year.

"These are the very systems and existing frameworks that have failed us," said the NDMC.

"This is not a functioning system; this is a national crisis."