No to 16 Days of Lip Service: Yes to Fighting for Real Action Against GBV

Note to Editors: Please see attached soundbites in English and Sesotho from Karabo Khakhau MP

Every three hours, a woman is murdered in South Africa.

Eight women are killed every day; Fifty-six each week.

This is a horrific reflection on the hearts and souls of our communities.

The 16 Days of Activism campaign has become an annual hollow promise exercise and symbolic of nothing other than political point scoring. While women and children live in fear, government's response has been marked by inaction and failure. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not a seasonal issue-it is a daily crisis. Every day ought to be about South African women and children whose daily realities are a survival battleground.

According to the Human Sciences Research Council, over 7.8 million women have endured both physical and sexual violence. These numbers are painful to sum up, speaking to years of neglect.

Yet the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP GBVF) remains underfunded and poorly implemented, leaving survivors without support and perpetrators without accountability.

NGOs that continue to serve as champions for South African women, providing support to survivors, who have been violated of their dignity ought to be offered more appreciation and support for their selfless work.

The DA demands more than lip service this year. Real change requires year-round action and accountability, not just 16 days of symbolic gestures.

Where the DA governs, we prioritise meaningful action to ensure that survivors are supported, shelters are adequately funded, and justice is accessible. Through legislative oversight and advocacy, we hold the government accountable and push for systemic change to break the cycle of violence.

The DA is committed to real, lasting change through:

• Legislative Action: We demand measurable NSP targets with clear accountability.
• Oversight: We will continue to expose failures in the system and offer practical solutions.
• Whole-of-Society engagement: Advocating for better collaboration with NPOs to ensure year-round support for survivors.
• Community Engagement: Local government programmes must address GBV at its roots, educating and empowering communities.

Women and children cannot wait any longer for safety and justice. The DA is determined to build a South Africa where all South Africans can live free from fear, where their rights are protected, and where real action replaces empty promises.

It is time to move beyond symbolic gestures. Government must do better.