Why gender-based violence persists in Southern Africa

On Thursday, police in South Africa found the body of Dineo M. stabbed, beaten and partially naked in Ekurhuleni, a municipality on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city.

The 38-year-old's death is one of a series of killings of women in their 20s and 30s in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.

But for Dineo's sister, Carol, it is more than another statistic in a country where gender-based violence was declared a national disaster in 2025.

"We sit here today and we will never see her walk through the door. Her 2-year-old has no idea what is going on," Carol told DW. "How do you explain to her … that your mother was brutally murdered, dumped behind shrubs, left unrecognizable?"

A community on edge

Authorities said it was not yet clear whether all of the killings were linked. However, they said they have identified similarities in some of them and have issued an alert for women in Ekurhuleni to take precautions.

Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said on Sunday that so far there was no conclusive evidence that the killings were carried out by a serial killer, "but nothing has yet been excluded while investigations continue."

For families and communities, the deaths have raised fresh questions about whether existing measures are enough to protect women.

South African Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, said at a protest march in Johannesburg that violence against women often starts behind closed doors.

"Please, stop it. Stop raping women. Stop insulting women. Stop financially abusing women," she said, warning that abuse can escalate. "They start with insults. They proceed to assault and then to murder. It cannot be."

Why laws fall short

For Naledi Masipa, campaigns manager at Gender Links, an NGO promoting gender justice across Southern Africa, the problem is not simply the absence of laws and policies.

"Having laws and policies does not automatically change what happens in communities and households," she told DW, adding that the entire support system must work, from reporting and policing to health services, psychosocial support and legal assistance.

If one part fails, she said, women continue to carry the burden. "The real test is whether a woman in an ordinary community feels safer."  

Amnesty International South Africa also said the response must recognize the gendered nature of killings.

"Femicide itself is not recognized as a crime. It's just seen as another murder," said Tegan Snyman, a research assistant at Amnesty South Africa, noting that South Africa has declared gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis, but argues that the response needs dedicated resources and urgency.

A regional challenge

The neighboring country of Botswana has also struggled with high levels of gender-based violence.

Natasha Rampa, a permanent secretary in Botswana's Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, said that "at least 37% of women in Botswana have experienced violence in their lifetimes."

In June, Botswana and the United Nations launched a joint program focused on prevention, survivor-centered services and stronger institutions.

"Violence is unacceptable, and we must work together as a society to address this issue," Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs Lesego Chombo told parliament. He said that tackling gender-based violence (GBV) requires action beyond government.

Turning policy into protection

Zambia also faces persistent gender-based violence — despite laws and national programs aimed at tackling it.

Why are women still unsafe in South Africa?

Anne Mbewe-Anamela, executive director of the Non-Governmental Coordinating Council, which champions gender equality, said the response must put survivors at the center.

"GBV is deeply rooted in power, inequality, and social expectations," she told DW. "We can have strong laws, but if communities still believe violence is a private matter or a normal part of marriage, then survivors remain silent and trapped."

For activists across the region, the challenge is therefore not simply creating more policies. It is making protection, support and justice work in practice. And for families like Dineo's, that difference is painfully personal. Carol knows her sister will never walk through the door again.

She wants Dineo's daughter to grow up understanding that what happened to her mother was not normal and that women deserve to be safe.

"How do you explain to her … that your mother was brutally murdered …?" she said. "That is why you don't have a mother today."