President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Tuesday a nationwide clean‑up of high‑risk areas following the discovery of the bodies of 12 women in an area east of Johannesburg in just two months. The killings have intensified a national debate about the high rate of gender‑based violence that South Africa faces.
The president described the response as multidisciplinary and emergency‑level, noting that four arrests have already been made in the investigation. He added that the country has not done enough to protect women and girls, and that gender‑based violence cannot be tolerated as a normal part of life.
Ramaphosa urged every municipality to launch a women’s safety audit immediately, stressing that high‑risk areas should be identified and addressed. The audits will look for broken streetlights, over‑grown public spaces, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes, poorly secured parks and similar conditions that increase women’s vulnerability.
He also unveiled an enforcement package aimed at reducing alcohol‑related violence. While alcohol itself does not cause gender‑based violence, its misuse aggravates the problem and must be tackled as part of a broader prevention strategy.
Beyond policing and law, Ramaphosa called for a deeper cultural shift. He said that violence against women starts with attitudes that see women as inferior and that a man has the right to control them. He urged men and boys to lead the change and highlighted that blaming women or limiting their freedom is not the answer.
South Africa recorded 5,427 homicides between April and June 2026, with the Human Rights Commission reporting 569 women killed and 1,052 survivors of attempted murder in the same period. The president’s announcement marks a significant, if urgent, step in addressing one of the country’s most pressing social issues.
