Ramaphosa announces 90-day plan to fix streetlights, cut alcohol, and increase policing as violence rocks South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a four-point plan in response to the spate of killings and violence against women in the country. It includes a ‘safety audit’ in municipalities and a clampdown on liquor outlets and consumption.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, the president laid out the plan with clear timelines and deadlines, maxing out at 90 days, for various government departments and authorities to meet.
He also committed additional funding and resources to the plan, which the Minister of Finance will announce at a later date.
The address came after a string of violence in the country, including the murder of 13 women in recent months, whose bodies have been discovered in the past few weeks.
Ramaphosa said that the ongoing violence towards women was “a source of profound pain and national shame.”
“How can our hearts not be broken? How can we not be angry?” he said.
Ramaphosa said he was upset that he was again addressing the crisis, seven years after having done the exact same thing at around the same time.
“What we have done is not enough. We need to do much more,” he said. “As president of the republic, I acknowledge this. As a government, we must do better. As a society, we must do better.”
The killings in Ekurhuleni are receiving attention of the highest order, with a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary response, he said.
Arrests have already been made, and additional persons of interest have been identified.
“These cases will not be allowed to go cold,” the president said, appealing to the public to come forward with any information. He added that visible policing is also being ramped up in the area.
“However, we cannot police our way out of gender-based violence,” he said, adding that it requires an all-of-society intervention.
Ramaphosa said that, since GBV and Femicide were classified as a national disaster in November, work has been done to improve national systems. However, more will be done.
The government has prioritised resources across government systems, and the Minister of Finance will allocate more resources when he announces the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, the president said.
Further to this, Ramaphosa laid out a clear plan to tackle the issue head-on. In the plan, he:
- Directed the Ministers of Police and Justice to undertake a national case recovery process to uncover unresolved cases of murder, rape and assault against women and children. Within 30 days, the number must be identified. Within 90 days, a plan of action to move the case forward must be developed.
- Directed the SAPS and relevant authorities to address the backlog in forensics related to GBV and children. This must be outlined within 60 days.
- Directed every municipality to begin a women’s safety audit to identify high-risk areas. Within 60 days, the audits must identify broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces, unsafe transport routes and facilities, parks, and other areas that pose risks. Within 90 days of completing the audit, the most urgent hazards must be addressed, or a plan to address them must be in place with clear dates.
- Directed that liquor become a focus. All liquor outlets that are flouting their licences must be brought to book. The DTIC and other government departments must develop a plan around liquor consumption to reduce alcohol-related violence, as this is a major factor at play.
The issues will be monitored, and a consolidated report will be published. The first is due within 90 days, and will then be published quarterly, Ramaphosa said.
Cabinet condemns the violence
Ramaphosa’s statements echoed a Cabinet meeting where the rise in incidents of gender-based violence and femicide in the country was also condemned.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said earlier on Tuesday that the cabinet condemned the reported killings in recent weeks and mourned the lives of the 13 women brutally murdered in various parts of Ekurhuleni.
“Cabinet welcomes the arrest of four suspects in connection with three of the murders. The suspects remain in custody after being denied bail following their court appearances,” she said.
She said the cabinet also supports the directive by President Ramaphosa to the SAPS Multi-Disciplinary Investigation Team to speedily arrest and prosecute the culprits behind the murders.
The team is pursuing several people of interest, she noted.
“The rise in GBV incidents must galvanise a societal response to protect women by men, families, communities and society in general,” she said.
“Similarly, law enforcement must ensure that those responsible for killing women are found and face the full might of the law. Those laws were amended to ensure GBVF crimes are dealt with harshly.”
Echoing Ramaphosa’s sentiments, the minister said that the government will continue doing everything in its power to promote the security and well-being of women and children in our communities.
“Let us all, men and women, take a stand against violence and play our part in ending the scourge of GBVF,” she said.
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