SUMMARY

• Protesters marched in Qonce, demanding stronger action against gender-based violence and femicide.
• Demonstrators called on men and communities to play a greater role in preventing abuse.
• The march followed the discovery of 11 women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni since July.

SOUTH AFRICA: Protesters marched through Qonce in South Africa’s Eastern Cape on Friday, calling for stronger action against gender-based violence and femicide.

Demonstrators marched through the streets while chanting and blowing whistles before gathering outside a police station.

They carried signs reading “Girls Just Want to Live,” “Stop Killing Us” and “End Gender-Based Violence.”

Personal Stories Drive Protest

For Asonele Melapi, the march was deeply personal. She is the founder and chairperson of the Nokwanda Patocka GBVF Foundation.

Melapi said her sister, Nokwanda, was murdered by her boyfriend in Ginsberg, Qonce, in October 2021.

She called for communities to act before violence occurs and urged men and women to stand together against gender-based violence.

Organiser Mxhosa Kazi Jajula also shared her own experience, saying she is a rape survivor and lost her mother and a friend to gender-based violence.

Protesters demand stronger action as gender-based violence remains a national concern.

Calls For More Action

Protester Lunga Mampangashe criticised what he described as an insufficient government response.

He said more resources were needed and called for ongoing public campaigns to educate communities about gender-based violence and prevention.

The protest comes as South Africa continues to face widespread concerns over violence against women.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said 11 women’s bodies had been found in Ekurhuleni since July. He has since ordered a national case-recovery operation focusing on unresolved murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children.

National GBV Response

South African police registered 50,511 gender-based violence and femicide cases between April and June 2026, according to government figures. More than 30,700 cases resulted in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority.

The government has also called for communities to work with law enforcement and for men and boys to challenge harmful behaviour and speak out against violence.

The Qonce marc...