Lesufi calls urgent GBV crisis meeting amid Ekurhuleni murders
· Citizen
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is expected to convene an urgent meeting with mayors, municipal managers and law enforcement agencies to strengthen the province’s response to gender‑based violence and femicide (GBVF).
Following the meeting, Lesufi will brief the media on Friday, 2 October 2026 at 11am.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Urgent meeting
The meeting follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national address on Wednesday amid the spate of killings in Ekurhuleni that left at least eleven women murdered.
Affected national Ministers have also been invited to attend the meeting.
Assessment
According to the Gauteng Provincial Government, the meeting will assess the province’s existing response measures, identify gaps and determine additional interventions to strengthen prevention, enhance the safety and security of residents, particularly women and children, improve law enforcement coordination and support GBV survivors.
“Following the engagement, Premier Lesufi will brief members of the media on the Province’s GBVF response plan.”
Same rhetoric
While some experts have welcomed Ramaphosa’s latest strategy to tackle GBV as comprehensive and timely, another said: “We’ve heard it all before.”
Most agree, though, that success will depend on whether authorities can overcome South Africa’s long-standing failure to implement plans.
Ramaphosa’s plan
Addressing the nation on Tuesday night following a spate of killings of women and mass shootings at taverns, Ramaphosa announced immediate measures aimed at improving the response to GBVF and serious violent crime.
The measures include:
- A national case recovery operation to audit unresolved murders and sexual offences within 60 days;
- A funded plan within 60 days to reduce forensic backlogs and set turnaround standards;
- Municipal women’s safety audits to identify hazards like broken streetlights and unsafe transport routes within 60 days; and
- A coordinated legislative package within 60 days to address alcohol-related violence.
Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, director of feminist organisation Wise 4 Afrika, said the announcement was “nothing new”, pointing to previous government interventions she said had failed to produce tangible results.
Additional reporting by Masoka Dube