Zulu regiments March through Durban to take a stand against GBV and femicide

• Scores of amabutho (Zulu regiments) marched through Durban to protest gender-based violence and femicide
• The march was convened by amabutho leader Sipho Mhlongo, with young maidens and government representatives joining the demonstration
• Participants declared that Zulu culture commands the protection of women and children, not violence against them

Scores of amabutho, traditional Zulu regiments, took to the streets of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal to stand firmly against gender-based violence and femicide. The march made its way from King Dinuzulu Park to Gugu Dlamini Park, near Durban City Hall, drawing together warriors, young maidens, provincial government representatives, and local leadership.

Convened by Amabutho aKwaZulu leader Sipho Mhlongo, the regiments carried a unified message: Zulu culture does not permit violence against women and children. Leaders made clear that anyone who uses tradition as cover for abuse is distorting a heritage built on protecting the vulnerable.

Why the Amabutho took to the streets

South Africa's gender-based violence and femicide crisis has deepened into what the government, civil society, and international organisations describe as a national emergency. Data from the South African Police Service for the 2025/2026 financial year recorded 50,511 reported victims of GBVF. Activists point out that underreporting, driven by stigma, family pressure, and fear, means the true scale is far greater.

President Cyril Ramaphosa formally declared GBVF a national disaster following sustained pressure from civil society groups including Women for Change. Despite the declaration, advocates warn that court backlogs and systemic failures continue to slow justice for survivors.

Recent high-profile cases have sharpened public anger. The disappearance of 38-year-old runner Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo led investigators to uncover multiple bodies of women discarded along roadsides near Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport. The discovery shocked the country and pushed more people into the streets.

Demands for real change, not rhetoric

The Durban march forms part of a broader wave of demonstrations in major cities including Cape Town and Johannesburg. Across these mobilisations, activists and community leaders are calling for structural reforms that move beyond awareness campaigns.

Their demands include dedicated rehabilitation programmes targeting perpetrators, properly funded police and court infrastructure to handle the volume of cases, and guaranteed safe public transport for women commuting daily.

The involvement of the amabutho alongside mainstream civil society signals something significant. It shows that the fight against GBVF has crossed cultural and institutional lines, with traditional leaders refusing to allow their heritage to be weaponised as justification for harm.

For the men who marched in Durban, the message was both cultural and urgent: protecting women and children is not a modern Western ideal imposed from outside. It is, they argued, the very foundation of Zulu warrior tradition.

More on GBV and femicide in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported that MacG and Sol Phenduka weighed in on Women for Change and Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma’s involvement in the GBV debate.
• Charlize Theron opened up about South Africa’s femicide crisis, questioning why the issue is not receiving greater global attention.
• SPAR called on South Africans to show solidarity with GBV survivors as part of its October campaign.

Source: Briefly News