Thobeka Ngema|Published
Civil society organisations and gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) advocates are calling on National Treasury to ring-fence funding for violence prevention and survivor support as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to deliver the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
The appeal comes amid figures showing thousands of GBVF cases reported to police oversight bodies and the South African Police Service (SAPS), alongside concerns about funding gaps and pressure on frontline support organisations.
Advocates are urging government to prioritise prevention, strengthen services for survivors and ensure funding reaches the organisations and institutions responsible for responding to abuse.
Calls for dedicated funding to prevent GBVF
Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia revealed that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) registered 5 259 cases during the 2025/26 financial year, including 332 GBVF cases, 116 officer-related rapes and 24 murders.
IPID secured 84 criminal convictions, of which 26 were GBVF-related. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of GBVF cases, at 60.
Officer-committed rapes increased from 95 in 2024/25 to 116 in 2025/26, with 44 committed by off-duty officers and 72 by on-duty officers.
Cachalia also recently reported that 50 511 GBVF cases were reported to SAPS during the 2025/26 financial year, with 30 736 resulting in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Father A Nation founder and chief executive Craig Wilkinson called on Treasury to ring-fence funding for prevention in the MTBPS.
“Because boys become the men they see, South Africa must implement a proactive, properly funded and well-staffed programme to tackle the mindsets of the men who perpetrate GBVF. Men should be taught how to speak up, rather than just be told to speak up,” Wilkinson said.
He said that while funds were available during the Covid-19 pandemic, the same level of commitment and resources must apply now to make South Africa safe for girls and women.
Wilkinson proposed that government allocate dedicated funding to the prevention pillar of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, starting with the MTBPS.
Frontline organisations warn of funding gaps
National Shelter Movement of South Africa board member Greer Schoeman said South Africa loses billions through the human, social and economic consequences of GBVF. Inadequate investment in prevention and response therefore carries a significant economic cost.
Schoeman said frontline civil society organisations were facing increasingly difficult conditions in delivering services.
Staff were stretched and underpaid, organisations were constantly required to find ways to fill funding gaps, and communities were continually being asked to contribute more.
“We would welcome large funding announcements, but the measure cannot simply be the size of the announcement. Funding must be transparent and traceable from allocation through to implementation, service delivery and outcomes for survivors,” Schoeman said.
GBVF Response Fund proposes R3 billion allocation
GBVF Response Fund board chairperson Faith Khanyile said the full extent of the funding gap had yet to be quantified, but proposed a dedicated allocation of R3 billion over the next three years as a meaningful starting point.
“How that funding is allocated matters as much as the amount. We propose that half be directed to the government departments most critical to the GBVF response, particularly the Justice and Health clusters. This would help clear the DNA backlog, address safety concerns, strengthen and properly resource Thuthuzela Care Centres, and upskill and train police officers,” Khanyile said.