'When justice fails, women die': GBV survivors left unprotected in Gauteng

Recently, I stood outside the Moretele Magistrates’ Court with dozens of community members, demanding that Lazarus Antonio, the man accused of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend Kgaogela Marota and assaulting his current partner, be denied bail.

As he arrived in the police van, he screamed through the window like a lunatic, still proud of his cruelty. Days earlier, he had posted a grotesque video on social media, boasting about what he had done. This act is not only that of a murderer; it reflects a society that has emboldened perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) by treating them with impunity.

But what chilled me even more was my meeting afterwards with Ikageng, a young woman who survived this criminal’s violent assault on the same night. He stabbed her multiple times, tried to hang her, and left her with more than ten deep wounds across her body. Despite submitting an affidavit to SAPS, Ikageng has had no follow-up, no trauma counselling, and no protection. She is only 20 years old and still waiting for justice. She lives in fear, abandoned by the very system meant to protect her.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Across Gauteng, the tide of GBV is rising at an alarming rate, and the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) appears to have no solutions to curb the scourge. In Mamelodi and Eersterust, at least five women were murdered in recent weeks. Their deaths barely made the headlines before the next case emerged.

In Bronkhorstspruit and Soshanguve, young girls were allegedly raped by a teacher. A figure meant to be a protector and role model to school children instead became their abuser. In community after community, stories of domestic violence, femicide, and child abuse echo the same pattern: perpetrators emboldened, victims silenced, and families destroyed.

This cycle of violence is more than a moral crisis; it is a constitutional and legislative failure. Section 12 of our Constitution guarantees the right to freedom and security of the person, including the right to be free from violence. The Criminal Procedure Act allows the denial of bail when accused individuals pose a danger to society. The Domestic Violence Act and Victims’ Charter compel the state to offer protection and support to survivors. And yet, in practice, survivors like Ikageng are failed at every step.

We cannot continue with the ritual of annual GBV awareness campaigns every August while the crisis escalates daily. South Africa needs an uncompromising, year-round approach comprised of courts that enforce no bail in cases of murder, attempted murder, and repeat domestic violence; police that treat every affidavit from a survivor as urgent, not optional; and proper rollout of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2019–2024), including accessible trauma counselling, survivor support services, and specialised GBV units.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial government would waste no time in implementing this approach, which aligns with the needs of our society that has, shamefully, gone astray.

Until we close the gap between what our laws promise and what women experience, justice will remain a hollow word. The truth is simple: when justice fails, women pay with their lives.