Festive season spike in gender-based violence: KwaZulu-Natal Premier urges communities to curb the trend
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has warned that there is troubling spike in gender-based violence cases during the festive season.
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KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has highlighted the province’s troubling gender-based violence (GBV) statistics, cautioning that the festive season often brings a spike in attacks against women and children.
“During the festive period, we see a marked increase in incidents linked to alcohol and drug use,” Ntuli said during a briefing on Monday.
“People expose themselves to substances, and we notice higher rates of GBV and femicide, as reflected in prison statistics during this time.”
Provincial data reveals a worrying trend: between July and September 2025 alone, 2,013 survivors accessed support at Thuthuzela Care Centres, with 65% of all GBV survivors being children.
Ntuli also noted that seven districts reported an increase in sexual assaults against children under 12, with eThekwini, uMgungundlovu, and King Cetshwayo remaining the province’s highest-risk areas.
“These numbers are not just statistics, they represent real lives, families, and communities at risk,” Ntuli said. “We must understand that the festive season is a high-risk period because alcohol and drug abuse fuel violent behaviour, and societal tensions rise during this time.”
The Premier highlighted behavioural patterns among men as a contributing factor to GBV: “There is an unfortunate tendency, particularly among men, to suppress emotions. Instead of speaking out, frustration can be expressed through violence against women and children. We are encouraging platforms for men to engage, to speak out, and to address these feelings constructively.”
KwaZulu-Natal’s year-round campaign, SilwisananeChilo: Fighting the Shame of GBVF, aims to reduce seasonal spikes in violence by combining prevention, awareness, and survivor support. The initiative focuses on engaging men, mobilising traditional leaders, religious institutions, and taxi associations, and leveraging sport, arts, and culture for community education.
Current interventions include 21 shelters for abused women and children, 31 White Door Centres of Hope, a newly opened Khuseleka One Stop Centre in Zululand, and 184 police stations staffed with GBVF activists providing support and leading school-based programmes. The province has also reached over 39,000 community members and 62,859 learners through awareness campaigns, and more than 5,000 men have participated in dialogues on positive masculinities.
Ntuli stressed the need for vigilance during the festive season: “KwaZulu-Natal will confront violence everywhere, every hour, every day. We will fight it, prevent it, prosecute it, and ultimately overcome it. Communities, families, and government must work together to ensure women and children are safe, not just during the holidays, but all year round.”