The newly formed Security Personnel Party of South Africa (SPPSA) has questioned the United States government’s silence on rising cases of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of an emergency in response to the crisis.
The party said GBVF had reached crisis levels in South Africa, with at least a dozen women’s bodies discovered in recent weeks, mostly in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
SPPSA argued that if the US were genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of South Africans, it would speak out against the ongoing killings of women, particularly black women, as well as other social challenges affecting the country.
Instead, the party accused the Donald Trump administration of focusing on what it described as a non-existent ‘white genocide’ narrative, which it claimed had been deliberately promoted by local and international right-wing groups opposed to redress.
The Tshwane-based party announced plans to march to the US Embassy in Pretoria this week to draw international attention to the femicide crisis.
“The purpose of this protest is to draw international attention to the ongoing femicide crisis in South Africa. We believe the continued killing of women should no longer be sanitised as mere ‘Gender-Based Violence (GBV)’ – it is genocide against Black Women,” the party said.
“South Africa has one of the highest rates of female killings in the world, and we are calling on the international community, including the United States, to recognise this crisis for what it truly is and to hold our government accountable to protect women,” SPPSA added.
The criticism comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Pretoria, with the Trump administration intensifying its criticism of the South African government.
SPPSA also criticised Washington’s support for local right-wing organisations such as AfriForum, which it accused of helping promote the ‘white genocide’ narrative. The controversy has also drawn attention to the US decision to grant refugee status to certain Afrikaners under a special admissions programme, while asylum seekers from other parts of the world face restrictions.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have intensified efforts to address GBVF. Ramaphosa has instructed authorities in all nine provinces to take immediate steps to improve women’s safety, including clearing overgrown vegetation along roads, repairing broken streetlights and addressing safety concerns around abandoned and hijacked buildings.
Police have made arrests in connection with several of the murders. However, as investigations continue, authorities have not confirmed whether the killings are linked to a serial offender.
A R400,000 police reward remains available for information that could lead to the arrest of those responsible for the killings.
The planned protest is expected to bring renewed attention to South Africa’s femicide crisis and the debate surrounding international responses to violence against women.