Kempton Park killings: What South Africa’s GBVF disaster classification requires from government - IOL

Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a crime scene where a woman's body was discovered yesterday morning in Kwa-Thema, Ekurhuleni.

These are just three of the many emotions shared by South Africans after another woman was found dead in Gauteng. To date, eight women have been found dead in Gauteng in what has been called the Kempton Park killings. 

What makes this even more alarming is the fact that it hasn't even been a year since the government classified gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster in South Africa.

So let's unpack what this means, and what should be taken—and should already have been taken in light of this declaration.  

On November 21, 2025, the government declared GBVF a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act. 

This classification means that GBVF, as a national disaster in South Africa, brings several legal, operational, and financial implications across all levels of government and society.

The decision was made by the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Dr Bongani Elias Sithole.

After evaluating the persistent and immediate life-safety risks posed by ongoing acts of violence, the NDMC concluded in November that GBVF meets the threshold of a potential disaster as defined in the Act.

Welcoming the classification, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister (CoGTA) explained that the National Executive now carries primary responsibility for coordinating and managing this national disaster, while using existing legislation and the contingency arrangements already established across government.

“The classification calls on all organs of state to strengthen their support to existing GBVF response structures, to fully implement their contingency arrangements, and to ensure that all necessary mechanisms are activated to enable the National Executive to manage the disaster effectively.”

Declaring gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) a national disaster means South Africa is now legally required to treat this crisis with the same urgency, budget access, and central coordination as a major national emergency.