On November 21, 2025, thousands of South Africans joined nationwide protests demanding urgent action on gender-based violence and femicide, coinciding with the government's declaration of the crisis as a national disaster. The demonstrations highlighted stark statistics, including at least 15 women murdered and 117 raped daily. Protesters observed a 15-minute standstill at noon to underscore the urgency.
The national shutdown on Friday, November 21, 2025, saw women and men across South Africa take to the streets to protest gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), timed just before the G20 meetings in Johannesburg. Participants aimed to spotlight the country's alarming GBVF rates and press for it to be treated as a national emergency. Every day, at least 15 women are murdered, and 117 report being raped, according to protest organizers.
The previous evening, on November 20, President Cyril Ramaphosa had declared GBVF a national crisis. This followed a petition by civil society group Women for Change, which gathered over a million signatures urging the declaration. On the protest day itself, Dr. Bongani Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre, classified GBVF as a national disaster under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act of 2002. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, welcomed the move, noting it reinforces existing mechanisms like the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF and the expansion of Thuthuzela Care Centres, without invoking emergency powers or new regulations.
Protests occurred in cities including Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, covered by Our City News. One poignant case highlighted was that of Gaby Ndaba, murdered in Boksburg in 2023; her family continues seeking closure as police investigations remain ongoing. The declaration builds on the 2019 national crisis label but differs in implications—no emergency funds or streamlined bureaucracy are automatically triggered.
The National Council for the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2020-2030) remains non-operational in 2025. Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindiswe Chikunga, stated efforts are underway to establish it by April 2026, with National Treasury allocating funds. She emphasized addressing root causes like community violence and promoting positive masculinity to combat the pervasive issue.