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President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that gender-based violence must be treated as a national crisis, emphasizing that women should never live in fear of men and deserve protection. He noted that the government is responsible for protecting women from gender-based violence, as police investigate the deaths of nine women whose bodies were found in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.

Ramaphosa made these statements to journalists during a fundraising day for ANC Veterans at Gold'sboro Country Club in Woodmead on Monday, following a series of murders that raised new concerns about women's safety.

In connection with the murder of Jabulile Ntimbe, whose body was found in Don Park on Thursday, the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Investigation Unit arrested three suspects—one man and two women—over the past weekend. A woman, reportedly around 30 years old, was found partially clothed in an open area on Lama Street in Villa Liza; police reported she had a fatal neck wound.

These three suspects are due to appear in the Boxburg Magistrate's Court on Monday. This woman is the ninth victim in a series of murders being investigated by the police after nine bodies were discovered in the Kempton Park and Ekurhuleni areas over a two-month period. Police are also investigating whether these nine deaths are connected.

However, the current Minister of Police, Firoz Kachalia, warned that investigators have not established that a serial killer committed the crimes, noting that investigations point to various possible motives and methods.

These events have led to increased police presence in the affected areas of Ekurhuleni, as well as the strengthening of a multidisciplinary team to investigate the deaths. When asked if the government's initiatives to combat gender-based violence are failing, he stated that the government cannot distance itself from its duty to protect women, even when the violence occurs in private homes.

He stressed: 'Even if sometimes gender-based violence happens in people's private homes, South Africans expect their government to protect them. Therefore, we will never shirk this responsibility. It is our duty.' Ramaphosa added that South African women deserve protection from their government and have the right to feel safe on the streets at any time of day. If they do not feel safe, the government must act.

He stated that murders, rapes, and violence against women require the government to take concrete steps to protect them. 'It goes without saying, as far as I know. And I do not want anyone in government to make excuses. The death of women, the rape of women, the violence against women—that is what we, as a government, must state that we will take steps to protect the women of our country,' he said.

Government will strengthen resources

Ramaphosa announced that the government will strengthen its response to gender-based violence by mobilizing additional resources and technology. 'We will do everything we can to find these criminals,' he said. The government will deploy 'more money, more resources, more technology' to alleviate the fear experienced by women. Furthermore, an interdepartmental committee will develop a series of initiatives in response to the crisis.

The President also noted that the responsibility for solving the problem of gender-based violence extends beyond the government, requiring men to change their attitudes towards women. 'The women of our country, generally and across the country, South African women must never fear men. And this is what we will now address more decisively,' he said. He called on men to respect and honor women, not viewing them as objects to be harmed or killed.

Ramaphosa emphasized that gender-based violence is not only a problem for women but a national crisis that must be viewed as such. Acknowledging possible shortcomings in the government's response, he stated that the commitment is strong and resolute, and he will continue to spread the message of the South African government's dedication to protecting women.

Calls to South Africa's Gender-Based Violence Command Centre have sharply increased, reaching 589 calls in a single day in September, reflecting the growing demand for support amid the crisis of gender-based violence in the country.

The Department of Social Development reported that the 24-hour hotline registered 589 calls on September 16, following a significant rise in the number of people seeking help between September 13 and 16. During these four days, the centre received approximately 500 calls daily, which is higher than the monthly average of 399 calls per day for the first twelve days of the month.

This surge occurred against a backdrop of heightened concern regarding violence against women, particularly in the Ekurhuleni district of Gauteng province, where the department reported nine women had died in the previous week.

Nearly 6800 Calls in 16 Days

Preliminary data indicates that the command centre received 6782 calls from September 1 to September 16, averaging 424 calls per day. This demonstrates a 21% increase compared to the same period in August, when the average number of calls was 350 per day.

The Department of Social Development noted a substantial rise in calls related to gender-based violence to its 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre, linked to increased public attention on gender-based violence and femicides.

However, the department cautioned against premature conclusions that the increase signifies a sustained rise in cases of gender-based violence, emphasizing the need for further monitoring and analysis to determine if this represents a stable trend.

Deaths in Ekurhuleni Heighten Concerns

The rise in calls coincides with growing anxiety over women's safety following a series of murders in Ekurhuleni. The department stated that concerns about violence against women and the fears experienced by women in communities have become 'particularly pronounced' in this district.

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that South Africa is unable to handle the issue of irregular migration alone and called on African countries for joint action to address the root causes of this phenomenon.

These statements were made by Lamola in response to an audience question during the High-Level Forum on Trade, Aid, and Immigration, which took place at the African Diaspora Forum in the United States of America on Friday. This forum was organized by the Black Caucus Foundation.

The question was raised against the backdrop of preparations for National Action Day on March 30th, which mandates the deportation of all illegally present migrants in the country. Previously, the Department of Home Affairs had already repatriated 89,936 people and deported 9,997 following protests held on June 30th.

Lamola emphasized that the government condemns vigilantism, noting that 354 people were arrested for anti-migrant violence. Of these, 103 cases (related to anti-migrant violence, intimidation, and robbery) are in court, and 43 are under investigation.

He explained that the South African government has developed a plan to prevent situations where people take the law into their own hands to ensure compliance with the law. Lamola clarified that such actions are the initiative of individual citizens, not state-sponsored activities.

Despite irregular migration being a reality for South Africa as a major destination for economic migrants, Lamola insisted that solving this problem is solely the responsibility of the government, not private individuals. He also stated that the South African government considers irregular migration a common problem.

During the forum, Lamola highlighted to participants that they are aware of what is happening in their countries and are obliged to address the root causes of irregular migration, including factors such as democratic deficits, economic growth, and job creation. He noted that when the South African economy faces difficulties, competition for limited resources naturally arises, which is occurring in the country.

Political analyst Professor Sifo Sipe agreed with Lamola's position on the rule of law but added that the minister and South Africa need to acknowledge their failure in securing borders. Sipe explained that uncontrolled immigration is a continental responsibility because people are fleeing their countries.

International relations and political analyst Gideon Chitanga noted that the question raised by the audience brings up legitimate concerns regarding South Africa's commitment to Pan-African solidarity and cooperation. He believes that not only does the minister need to emphasize this on the international stage, but there also needs to be a comprehensive internal process of engagement that examines the interconnected causes of the problem from a legal and immigration management perspective. Such a proactive approach aimed at creating fair conditions for legally entering or residing people would likely change the discourse and create conditions for a long-term solution to the problem.