GBV pandemic at our doorstep

Violence against women has become one of the most pervasive public health emergencies in modern history

- Marlan Padayachee

Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia. Photo: GCIS

(GCIS)

Fifteen women are murdered every day in South Africa — a shocking reminder of the country’s gender-based violence epidemic.

In total, sixty-three South Africans are killed daily, according to the latest police crime statistics. Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia reported that more than 10 000 people lost their lives across the quarterly reporting periods from April to September.

This was his first SAPS report since President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him to replace Senzo Mchunu, now under scrutiny in a commission of inquiry over political interference in police investigations. The figures lay bare a nation still battling a culture of violence, with women and girls paying the heaviest price.

Behind that chilling statistic are names, families, and futures extinguished. Yet as the annual 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children campaign — from 25 November to 10 December — comes to an end next week, the violence does not. Despite government fanfare and civil-society activism, the attacks on women continue unabated, prompting activists to renew their call for a 365-day national campaign to confront what has become a post-apartheid pandemic.

As a country celebrated for its constitutional reforms and progressive legal framework, are we paying lip service to the safety of women and children?

The latest crime statistics from April to September 2025 confirm a tragic truth: women and children remain trapped in the crossfire of a violent society that claims over 60 lives daily and recorded more than 10 000 murders in just six months.