The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has called on the South African government to declare Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide a national state of disaster ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit taking place on 21 November at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
Speaking at a press briefing in Germiston on Sunday, ANCWL Secretary General Nokuthula Nqaba said the organisation would continue to apply pressure until government takes urgent action.
“Our government knows there is no women’s movement in South Africa, or on the continent, with our numbers and capacity to mobilise. We are urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to make this decision as soon as possible,” she said.
Nqaba expressed frustration over what she described as slow progress in addressing GBV, adding that the Inter-Ministerial Committee established earlier this year had not made a meaningful impact. She also criticised the National Treasury for failing to allocate significant resources to safety and crime prevention in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement delivered last week.
While acknowledging President Ramaphosa’s support on the issue, the league said it wants more than expressions of solidarity. It is calling for policy changes, including stricter bail conditions, harsher sentences for offenders, and enhanced safety measures to protect women.
