Gender-Based Violence and Femicide officially declared a national disaster in South Africa

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa has welcomed the formal classification of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster in South Africa.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared GBVF a national crisis on 20 November when addressing delegates at the G20 Social Summit.

Hlabisa welcomed a decision by the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Dr Bongani Elias Sithole, to classify GBVF as a national disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act.

“This effort pulls together every sphere of government and every critical sector: policing, social development, justice, health, education, economic development, and traditional leadership,” the minister said.

“Above all, it confirms a fundamental truth: GBVF is not a women’s issue. It is a national crisis.”

The NDMC previously rejected calls by advocacy group Women for Change for GBVF to be declared a national disaster, arguing that it did not align with the Act.

As a result, the movement called for a national shutdown on Friday, 21 November. The campaign went viral on social media, with thousands of users changing their profile pictures to purple in support.

The NDMC’s U-turn on the decision follows the reassessment of previous and updated submissions from state organs and civil society.

Thus, the NDMC is now responsible for coordinating and managing the national disaster.

The classification also calls on other organs of state, the private sector, communities, and individuals to strengthen their support for the existing GBVF structure.

It is essential to note that the classification does not invoke emergency powers, but instead reinforces and strengthens the existing systems.

These include the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF, the Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management, the NATJOINTS Priority Committee, and the 90-day GBVF Acceleration Programme.

It will also see the expansion of Thuthuzela Care Centres and the strengthening of Sexual Offences Courts.

The national state of disaster will only be revoked once the head of the NDMC concludes that it can no longer be regarded as a state of disaster, or once it expires.