What should government do to protect South Africans?
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on gender-based violence and femicide, government has announced a series of new measures, including a 60-day operation to identify unresolved murders, attempted murders, rapes and serious sexual offences involving women and children.
The President also announced plans to address forensic backlogs, prioritise serious cases, conduct women’s safety audits in municipalities and report publicly on progress.
These are significant commitments.
Now South Africans deserve to know whether they will actually be delivered.
Promises must become results
Government has set itself deadlines. The public should be able to measure what happens next.
Are unresolved cases being reopened and investigated?
Are forensic backlogs being cleared?
Are dangerous areas becoming safer?
Are perpetrators being identified, prosecuted and held accountable?
And, most importantly, are fewer South Africans becoming victims of violent crime?
Announcements alone cannot make communities safer. South Africa needs effective policing, functioning investigations, reliable forensic services, successful prosecutions, crime prevention and genuine accountability when the system fails.
The scale and brutality of violent crime has also revived difficult questions about punishment and deterrence, including whether South Africa should reconsider the death penalty for the most serious violent crimes.
Have your say
DearSA is asking South Africans to assess government’s response to violent crime and tell us what needs to change.
Why your participation matters
This is your opportunity to put your views on record.
Violent crime affects every part of South African society. Government has made new commitments. Now the public must be able to hold it accountable for delivering them.
Have your say and help shape the national conversation on making South Africa safer.
