South Africa has officially classified gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster, marking the strongest government response yet to the country’s escalating violence against women and children.
The announcement comes just days after Women for Change led a nationwide shutdown on Friday, 21 November, ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, calling for urgent intervention and demanding that GBVF be treated with the same seriousness as other national emergencies.
ALSO SEE: Ramaphosa declares gender-based violence a ‘crisis’ as shutdown looms before G20 Summit
Government confirms classification under disaster legislation
Minister of Cooperative Governance Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed that the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has formalised the classification. NDMC head Dr Bongani Elias Sithole invoked Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act following reassessments of previous reports and updated submissions from government structures and civil organisations.
Hlabisa said the decision reflects the “persistent and immediate life-safety risks” posed by the ongoing violence, noting that GBVF now meets the legal threshold for disaster status.
Responsibility for coordinating the national response will now rest with the National Executive under Sections 23 and 26 of the Act. All state institutions have been instructed to activate their contingency plans, strengthen existing GBVF response structures and ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place across the country.
Under Section 22, government, the private sector and communities have been urged to intensify prevention and risk-reduction efforts through the implementation of existing laws, procedures and standards.
Reinforcing, not replacing, existing systems
The classification does not grant emergency powers or introduce new regulations, but instead strengthens coordination between existing initiatives. These include the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF, the 90-Day GBVF Acceleration Programme, the expansion of Thuthuzela Care Centres and ongoing reforms to the criminal justice system, including sexual offences courts.
All affected state bodies will be required to submit regular progress reports to the NDMC in line with Section 24 of the Act.
The notice also outlines conditions for termination. The classification may be revoked if GBVF no longer meets the criteria for a national disaster, or if a future national state of disaster is declared, in which case the classification will lapse once that state ends.
Pressure from protests ahead of G20 Summit
The government’s decision follows mounting pressure from civil society, particularly Women for Change, which organised the national shutdown calling for stronger action. The movement urged women and gender-diverse people across the country to withdraw their labour for the day, hold moments of silence and use purple symbols online in honour of the victims of femicide.
The shutdown took place the day before world leaders gathered in Gauteng for the G20 Summit, drawing significant domestic and international attention to South Africa’s GBVF crisis.
Other civic groups, including Operation Dudula, also announced protest action around the summit, focusing on poverty, unemployment and broader social issues.
Ramaphosa calls GBVF a ‘crisis’
The announcement comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa described GBVF as a “crisis” during an address at the G20 Social Summit in Boksburg, saying women are “crying out” for stronger protection and support.
“Extraordinary and concerted action is needed,” he said, adding that perspectives shared at the summit underline the need for government and decision-makers to understand “what works, what doesn’t, and what must change.”
The new classification places GBVF in the highest risk category under disaster legislation, reinforcing the need for urgent, coordinated national action across policing, justice, health, education, social development and community structures.
Hlabisa said the move acknowledges a fundamental truth: “GBVF is not a women’s issue. It is a national crisis.”
ALSO SEE:
Women across South Africa heed call for ‘G20 Women’s Shutdown’ over GBV crisis
Featured Image: Getty & Instagram | @janedoe.creative
