Women For Change condemns government's dismissal of GBV as a national disaster

The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has rejected calls from the activist group Women For Change (WFC) to have gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) declared a national disaster, stating that such a classification does not align with the Disaster Management Act (DMA).

This decision comes ahead of WFC's national shutdown on Friday, November 21, which coincides with the G20 summit. The group's campaign has gained significant traction, with thousands of social media users changing their profile pictures to purple in support of the initiative.

In a letter released by the group, NDMC head Dr Ellias Sithole said that while the Centre recognises the severity of the crisis, GBVF cannot logically or lawfully be considered a disaster under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and therefore cannot be categorised or declared as such.

Sithole was responding to a petition by WFC founder Sabrina Walter, who had written to the Presidency requesting urgent action to treat GBVF as a national emergency.

The NDMC, which falls under the Department of Cooperative Governance, said it had already considered similar requests earlier this year.

Sithole noted: "It is important that I indicate immediately that as far back as April 11, the NDMC provided detailed feedback by e-mail to the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) on a similar request made by another organisation, which is not inconsistent with this communication."

While emphasising that the state is deeply troubled by ongoing violence against women, Sithole maintained that the issue should be addressed through existing government mechanisms rather than the disaster framework.

Sithole stressed the need for collaboration between government and civil society to strengthen existing interventions. 

"I recognise that GBVF is a devastating violation of human dignity, and I maintain that we must stand together in compassion and work closer together as government and civil society, within the existing legislative instruments."

However, he reiterated that the DMA was never intended to address entrenched social problems. "I also cannot ignore the fact that the DMA was not enacted to deal with ingrained societal vulnerabilities that can best be addressed in a sustainable manner through the optimisation of existing mechanisms," Sithole added.

But Walter has sharply criticised the NDMC's response, saying it ignores the lived reality of women across South Africa.

She accused government frameworks of failing to deliver accountability or measurable change.

Walter also questioned the lack of transparency around government spending on the NSP.

"In 2019, during the first Presidential Summit on GBVF, Cyril Ramaphosa committed R21 billion over five years to implement the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. Five years later, there is no transparency," she said.

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