Key Points:
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Intimate partner violence kills three women daily in South Africa.
- Femicide convictions have decreased significantly, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Firearm-related femicide continues to rise, signaling the failure of law enforcement.
South Africa is grappling with a growing femicide crisis. Battling with inadequate resources and poor implementation of laws meant to protect women. Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a central issue, as highlighted by a recent high-profile case and disturbing statistics.
Legal Challenges and Striking Cases
This week, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made headlines. They announced the attempted murder case against businessman Edwin Sodi. The court struck him from the roll at Randburg Magistrate’s Court after Sodi’s estranged wife, Nthateng Lerata, chose to retract charges. This follows a grim event in Cape Town, where convicted murderer Wayne Lawrence received a 71-year prison sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend, Angela, and attempting to murder their daughter during a domestic dispute.
Lawrence, a licensed firearm holder, used his firearms during the attack. Meanwhile, Sodi faced charges of attempted murder and assault, but the case collapsed after Lerata withdrew her statement. Reports indicate that during a violent confrontation, Sodi attempted to shoot his wife, but his gun jammed.
The NPA condemned Lerata’s withdrawal of charges, emphasizing the widespread issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. However, both parties’ failure to attend the court hearing removed the case from the roll.
Grim Statistics and the Failure of Laws
Statistics from the University of Cape Town and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) show alarming trends. Professor Naeemah Abrahams, a specialist scientist at SAMRC, pointed out that since 2009, intimate partners have killed an average of three women daily in South Africa. This reflects a disturbing trend of increasing gun-related femicides, which she attributes to inadequate enforcement of firearm control laws and the Domestic Violence Act.
“We know that IPV and femicide are preventable. We have evidence on what works, but it requires adequate resources to implement effective solutions,” said Abrahams.
Declining Conviction Rates During the Pandemic
Recent research from SAMRC further highlights the severe decline in femicide convictions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that fewer than one in five intimate partner femicide cases resulted in a conviction in 2020/21. Moreover, nearly half of these cases involved unidentified perpetrators, indicating a significant failure in the police and criminal justice system.
SAMRC also revealed that the number of firearm-related femicides has steadily increased over the past decade, underscoring the deterioration in policing and the lack of enforcement of the Firearms Control Act. The increase in femicide cases and the failure to identify perpetrators is deeply concerning and calls for urgent reform.
The Need for Urgent Reform
In 2022, the government introduced the Integrated National Femicide Prevention Strategy, which is still awaiting approval by Cabinet. SAMRC emphasized that stronger police responses and better enforcement of laws are critical for achieving justice for victims of femicide.
Meanwhile, Sodi, who made headlines in May 2023 for his involvement in a water crisis in Hammanskraal, Pretoria, continues to evade accountability. His company, awarded a R295 million tender to address the area’s long-standing water issues, left the project incomplete, contributing to a cholera outbreak that resulted in 15 deaths and over 50 hospitalizations.
The rising femicide rates in South Africa remain a tragic and urgent issue, with calls for reform and justice growing louder as the crisis deepens.
