Ramaphosa Calls Violence Against Women a National Shame, Sets Police Deadlines
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on 30 September 2026 that violence against women in South Africa is a national shame and called on men to take more responsibility for ending it. Reuters His call followed a series of killings of women. The Guardian
Eleven women's bodies have been found dumped across Ekurhuleni since 15 July 2026. Eight of the 11 were found in the three weeks before 30 September. One of the victims, Elizabeth 'Tsontso' Moselakgomo, was discovered on 12 September after going missing while on a run after work. Suspects have been arrested in connection with three of the killings. Police have not found evidence that a serial killer was responsible for all 11. The Guardian
Ramaphosa acknowledged that not enough had been done to protect women. He urged South African men to challenge relatives, friends and colleagues who harass, humiliate or abuse women. "It is time for good men to stop being silent men," he said.
In a televised speech on Tuesday night, Ramaphosa set time-bound tasks for the police and local government. Police will review unsolved murders, attempted murders and serious sexual offences against women and children within 60 days. They will also produce a funded plan within 60 days to reduce the forensic backlog, the buildup of untested DNA and lab work, for cases involving women and children. Local governments were given five months to address conditions compromising women's safety, including broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces and abandoned buildings. Five ministers were tasked with producing a plan within 60 days to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The Guardian
South African law has been tightened to make it more difficult for perpetrators of gender-based violence, or violence aimed at women and girls, and domestic abuse to obtain bail, or release before trial, according to the presidency. Presidency
The broader context here is the gap between acknowledgment and enforcement. Ramaphosa paired an admission of failure with dated deliverables. Sixty days for a review of unsolved killings and serious sexual offences, 60 days for a funded forensic plan, five months for municipalities to repair lighting and secure derelict spaces, and 60 days for an alcohol-violence plan from five ministers. That structure invites measurement.
Looking at what this means for the months ahead, the burden falls on institutions with very different capacities. A national police review and a forensic backlog plan depend on investigators, laboratories and funding. Municipal repairs depend on local budgets and maintenance systems. A plan to curb alcohol-fuelled violence spanning five portfolios depends on coordination across departments. The appeal to men adds a social dimension. It asks for intervention among relatives, friends and colleagues, not only compliance with the law.
In my view, the speech will be judged less on language than on whether those reviews produce cases reopened, backlogs cleared and resources allocated. The Ekurhuleni killings illustrate why resolution matters. Eleven deaths since mid-July, with arrests in only three cases and no single explanation found by police, leave families and communities without answers. A systematic review of unsolved attacks on women and children speaks directly to that uncertainty.
