RISE Mzansi has strongly welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's declaration of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as a National Disaster, stating that the crisis cannot be treated as business as usual.
The party stated that the declaration should not be viewed as a "symbolic gesture," but rather as a watershed moment that forces the government to enforce existing safeguards and strengthen protection for women, children, and the LGBTQIA+ community, all of whom face constant violence.
RISE Mzansi national spokesperson Mabine Seabe said GBVF is not only a policing issue, but a national emergency that affects freedom of movement, access to education, the ability to work, and the right to live without fear.
Seabe stressed that perpetrators continue to act with impunity because they do not fear consequences, a reality that must end.
He said that the National Disaster framework must include mandatory quarterly reporting from key institutions to restore accountability.
"The NPA must report on GBVF caseloads and conviction rates, the SAPS must report on the number of GBVF cases and dockets, particularly rape, Stats SA must provide clearer data on women’s unemployment, the Commission for Gender Equality must be fully resourced to carry out its mandate, and Parliament must receive quarterly updates on the impact of the National Disaster declaration," he said.
Seabe added that the country would not have reached this critical turning point without relentless pressure from women’s organisations, Women for Change, and civil society activists.
“A year from now, we must show real progress; otherwise, this declaration will have meant nothing. Now, more than ever, political will is necessary,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has painted a grim picture of how badly SAPS is failing victims.
After a recent oversight visit, the party revealed that the Pretoria SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory is on the brink of collapse, crippling the fight against GBVF.
DA spokesperson for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Angel Khanyile, said SAPS is facing a backlog of more than 30 000 GBVF cases, including rape cases, while the forensic system is short of at least 400 critical staff, from analysts to case managers.
Khanyile said despite SAPS receiving R120 billion a year, the collapse of its forensic capacity is worsening because of limited laboratories across the country, causing avoidable bottlenecks.
The DA said it will demand urgent action and accountability for SAPS’ forensic failures, push for devolved policing powers to provinces, encourage partnerships with competent private bodies, and ensure the immediate appointment of the long-delayed GBV Council.
Speaking to The Star, Merlize Jogiat, operations and advocacy coordinator at Women for Change, said delays of months or even years in DNA processing are “devastating” for survivors of GBV.
“These delays undermine trust in the justice system and often discourage survivors from reporting or pursuing their cases. In a national crisis of violence, justice delayed is justice denied,” she said.
Jogiat warned that the failure to fully appoint the GBVF Council has left frontline organisations navigating a fragmented system with weak coordination and limited accountability. A functioning council, she said, is essential for driving interdepartmental action and ensuring forensic capacity, survivor support, and legal reform.
She added that, given the massive backlog, there is a strong case for temporarily involving private forensic laboratories, but only with strict safeguards for survivor confidentiality, independent oversight, and full transparency. “The backlog is not just technical; it is a barrier to justice and a sign of how undervalued survivors’ lives remain.”
The Star
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