Tshwane launches new strategy to tackle GBV
In a decisive move to fight gender-based violence (GBV), the Tshwane metro officially launched a strategic response to co-ordinate and prevent these crimes that target women and children in the metro.
The initiative was launched on May 28.
Led by the MMC for Community and Social Development, Palesa Modise, the initiative marked a turning point in the city's approach to GBV.
According to Section 79 chairperson for Community and Social Development, Rebecca Monchusi, the initiative addresses something South Africans have long demanded.
'It moves us away from symbolic condemnation towards co-ordinated, actionable prevention and intervention,' Monchusi said.
She emphasised that GBV is not a peripheral issue, so it must be recognised as a national emergency.
'We are losing lives daily. In the third quarter of the 2024/25 reporting year alone, over 11 700 rape cases were reported in South Africa – an average of 130 per day. These are not just numbers, they are shattered families, silenced voices, and broken communities,' said Monchusi.
She said that the multiparty initiative demonstrates the kind of proactive leadership that Tshwane desperately needs.
Monchusi added that for months, civil society has been calling for GBV to be declared a national disaster, demanding urgent and co-ordinated action across all spheres of government.
'This initiative tells of the commitment of the multiparty government of the City of Tshwane and has the potential to shift the national tone. This is no longer about waiting for top-down solutions,' explained Monchusi.
She said Tshwane is leading through action and the resolve of knowing that it is possible to respond with urgency, empathy, and strategy.
She highlighted the importance of this strategy being rooted in partnership between the government, civil society, communities, and survivors themselves.
'Tshwane must not only react to the violence once it happens, but it must also work to prevent it, support those affected, and transform the systems that have allowed GBV to persist unchecked,' said Mochusi.
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