A placard calling for an end to gender-based violence.
South Africa’s fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) faces renewed scrutiny following the release of sobering police statistics for the 2025/26 financial year. Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia reported that 50 511 GBVF cases were registered with the SAPS, with 30 736 resulting in arrests or referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Activists have warned that these figures only scratch the surface of a deepening crisis in the country.
In a parliamentary response to the MK Party’s Gugulethu Mchunu, Cachalia detailed 2025/26 GBVF statistics—including arrest and prosecution figures—and outlined planned interventions to improve investigation and conviction rates.
“A total of 50 511 cases of gender-based violence and femicide were reported to the South African Police Service during the 2025/26 financial year,” Cachalia said.
