President Cyril Ramaphosa announced four measures on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, that give government departments and every municipality 60 to 90 days to act on gender-based violence and femicide, after a series of murders of women in Ekurhuleni. BusinessTech and IOL both covered the address, which began at 7pm, according to the government’s SAnews notice.
The address came after the bodies of several women were found in and around Ekurhuleni. Reports differ on the number: BusinessTech put it at 13 women murdered in recent weeks, while IOL’s account of the speech refers to 11 women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni since July 2026. Police have not found evidence pointing to a single perpetrator, IOL reported, and the investigation is coordinated nationally by the Deputy National Commissioner for Detective Services.
The four measures
The first is a case recovery operation. Ramaphosa ordered a 60-day audit of unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children. According to IOL, the audit must identify the number and age of unresolved cases, cases awaiting forensic evidence and cases where suspects have been identified but not arrested. Individual recovery plans must follow within 90 days, naming the outstanding action, the responsible official and the deadline.
The second targets forensic backlogs. Priority samples in cases involving the rape or murder of women and children must be ring-fenced for urgent processing. A funded plan with turnaround standards is due within 60 days, with quarterly public progress reports.
The third is a women’s safety audit in every municipality. Within 60 days, the audits must identify hazards such as broken streetlights, overgrown public spaces, abandoned buildings, unsafe transport routes and poorly secured parks. Within 90 days, urgent hazards must be fixed or covered by an implementation plan, and the results are to be published.
The fourth deals with alcohol. Provincial and municipal authorities must intensify enforcement of existing liquor laws and by-laws, particularly against unlicensed outlets and establishments that trade outside permitted hours, IOL reported from the speech text. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, working with the ministers of health, social development, police and cooperative governance, must submit a coordinated legislative and enforcement package to Cabinet within 60 days. Ramaphosa said alcohol does not cause gender-based violence and “can never excuse it”, but called harmful alcohol use a significant aggravating factor.
Money, reporting and arrests
The plan has no budget attached yet. “More resources will be allocated by the Minister of Finance in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement,” the president said, as quoted by IOL. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on gender-based violence and femicide will publish consolidated progress reports every quarter, with the first due within 90 days.
Ramaphosa was frank about the record so far. “What we have done is not enough. We need to do much more,” he said, as quoted by BusinessTech. He also told the nation: “However, we cannot police our way out of gender-based violence.” On the unsolved cases he said: “These cases will not be allowed to go cold.” BusinessTech reported that gender-based violence and femicide was classified as a national disaster in November of last year.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni had earlier reported cabinet’s response. “Cabinet welcomes the arrest of four suspects in connection with three of the murders,” she said, adding that the suspects remain in custody after being denied bail following their court appearances. BusinessTech said additional persons of interest have been identified, and IOL reported that a specialised multidisciplinary investigation has been elevated to the national level. The SAPS and the forensic authorities are responsible for the first two measures.
Deadlines for municipalities and liquor outlets
Municipalities carry the most concrete duties: a women’s safety audit that identifies hazards within 60 days, and, within 90 days of completing the audit, repairs to the most urgent hazards or a funded implementation plan with clear completion dates. Counted from the day of the address, the 60-day deadlines fall on about 28 November 2026.
Unlicensed outlets and those trading outside permitted hours are the target of the enforcement drive. The detail of any wider restrictions is still to come, because the legislative and enforcement package is only due at the 60-day mark. More on policy decisions that affect business and municipalities is in our Regulatory & Policy section.
