News24 | Gender-based violence and femicide declared a national disaster

Cape Town residents working in the CBD paused their workday to observe a moment of silence outside the Artscape on Friday. Among those gathered were survivors of gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) have officially been declared a national disaster, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa has confirmed.

He said the head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Elias Sithole, granted clearance to classify the scourge as a national disaster in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act.

“This decisive action follows a thorough reassessment of previous reports and updated submissions from organs of state as well as civil organisations,” Hlabisa said.

“After evaluating the persistent and immediate life-safety risks posed by ongoing acts of violence, the NDMC has concluded that GBVF now meets the threshold of a potential disaster as defined in the act,” said Hlabisa.

The announcement comes as thousands of women participate in a national shutdown across the country, organised by the organisation Women For Change.

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