Men Taking a Stand to End Violence Against Women in South Africa

Sat Oct 03 2026 03:05:53 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In Johannesburg, a new program invites men to confront gender‑based violence and promote respectful relationships. The movement hopes to curb the country’s high femicide rates.

In the slums of Johannesburg, men are gathering to admit and confront violent behaviours toward women. A 30‑year‑old man admitted to slapping his girlfriend and publicly pledges to change. Community organisers call for a shift towards positive masculinity, demanding men act before violence escalates. The country faces a stark femicide crisis, with 569 women killed between April and June, sparking national outrage.

Men Taking a Stand

Kgomotso Mathekga, 30, admits he has slapped a girlfriend after a drunken argument. He says he sees men hitting women all the time and feels he has failed as a role model.

The admission comes at a gathering in Organic Market, a Johannesburg shanty near Alexandra. Here, local men sit in a circle, listening to Itumeleng ‘Bra Steve’ Tamaga and others speak about gender‑based violence.

Bra Steve, organiser of the Father A Nation programme, calls on men to learn ‘positive masculinity’ and act before violence escalates. He urges men to become role models for their daughters and partners.

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged the gap in protection for women. Between April and June, 569 women were murdered in a country that already records 5,427 killings each quarter.