The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) has issued an ultimatum to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC-led government of national unity: declare gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national disaster by Friday or face nationwide disruption.
Speaking on Monday ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba warned that the league would not hesitate to mobilise mass action if the government fails to act.
“There is no bigger women’s formation in South Africa and the continent that can bring this country to a standstill,” she said, urging Ramaphosa to act swiftly and decisively.
The ANCWL plans to march to Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg on Friday, just one day before global heads of state gather in the city for the G20 Summit on 22 and 23 November.
South Africa continues to grapple with one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence.
According to police statistics, over 50,000 sexual offences were reported in the past year, with femicide rates five times the global average.
Civil society groups have long called for a more urgent and coordinated response, citing systemic failures in law enforcement, survivor support, and prevention.
The ANCWL’s threat adds pressure to a government already under scrutiny as it prepares to host the G20 Summit for the first time.
The summit is expected to draw leaders from the world’s largest economies, placing South Africa’s domestic challenges under an international spotlight.
JN/APA