National shutdown hitting South Africa today
Friday, 21 November, marks the day of a planned national shutdown across the country, with thousands expected to down tools and stop working to bring attention to gender-based violence in the country.
The shutdown is being driven by NGO, Women For Change, which is calling for a stop to all work on Friday.
The group plans to take advantage of the increased international attention on South Africa ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit being held on Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 November.
The advocacy group, which fights against Gender Based Violence and Femicide in South Africa, launched a petition that has gained over a million signatures.
The movement is demanding that gender-based violence and femicide be declared a national disaster.
In a message to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the group said that the government and leaders have failed women in the country by not doing enough to end the scourge of GBV.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa, you failed us. You failed the 5,578 women murdered last year. You failed every survivor who begged for justice and got silence,” it said.
“You failed the mothers who buried their daughters while your promises gathered dust.”
As part of its actions, it is calling on all women and members of the LGBTQI+ community across South Africa to refrain from all paid and unpaid work in workplaces, universities, and homes, and to spend no money for the entire day to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence.
“We will withdraw our labour, our care, and our silence because South Africa cannot function while its women are dying. The women of this country have had enough. This time, we are not asking. We are stopping.”
The shutdown includes
- No work or unpaid labour on 21 November
- No spending or withdrawing of money on the day
- A 15-minute complete standstill at noon
- Wearing of black to stand in “mourning and resistance”.
“Until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress,” the group said.
A number of civil society groups and human rights movements have endorsed the call for a shutdown and the protest.
Women For Change will be hitting 15 locations for a national meetup, and will be leading a 15-minute “silent lie down” across all nine provinces.
The protest meet-up will start at 11h30, with the lie-down commencing at 12h00.
“This is a moment of unity, grief, and collective power. It is peaceful, no violence, no confrontation,” the group said.
The group published a list of the following 15 national meetup points:
- Sea Point Promenade, Cape Town
- Rooiplein, Stellenbosch University
- Botanical Gardens, Randburg
- Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
- Aula Lawn, University of Pretoria
- Union Buildings Lawn, Pretoria
- North Beach, Durban
- South Beach, Durban
- Eastern Beach, East London
- Summerstrand Beach, Gqeberha
- Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley
- Potch Park at the Bult Area, North West University, Potchefstroom
- Sports Ground, University of Limpopo
- Hoffman Square (Main Campus), University of Free State, Bloemfontein
- Riverside Government Boulevard, Nelspruit.
Participants have been urged to remain peaceful and avoid any form of violence or disruption during the demonstration.
Joburg on lockdown
While peaceful and planned protest action has been given the all-clear, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has made it clear that the areas surrounding the G20 summit will be on lockdown.
The structure said it will enforce a ‘hard lockdown’ around the FNB Stadium and Nasrec Expo Centre, where the summit will be taking place.
This forms part of the South African Police Service’s (SAPS’s) security measures. The G20 Leaders’ Summit is the main event where the heads of state from the G20 countries gather.
Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili advised Johannesburg residents that there will be limited access in areas surrounding Nasrec Expo Centre and FNB Stadium.
“We confirm that from Friday, 21 November until Monday, 24 November 2025, we will be implementing a hard lockdown,” she said.
The hard lockdown means that individuals who do not have a valid accreditation to be in and around the Nasrec Expo Centre will not be allowed in this vicinity.
“All vehicles in this vicinity will be inspected thoroughly before being allowed to enter any premises,” Mosikili said.
There will also be traffic measures in place over the weekend, with motorists warned to expect delays.
The Road Traffic Management Cooperation, RTMC, and the Metro Police Departments have already apprised communities of the affected road closures.
The routes already affected in Johannesburg include parts of major roads, including the N1, N3, N12, R21, R24, and M1.
Roads used by convoys will be closed off, and the movement of road users, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists will be limited.
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