Uyinene’s mother takes fight against GBV to international stage seven years after daughter’s murder - IOL

Nomangwane Mrwetyana, mother of murdered UCT student Uyinene, will address the One Young World Summit in Cape Town, calling for urgent action to prevent gender-based violence.

Seven years after the brutal rape and murder of her daughter, Nomangwane Mrwetyana continues to carry a message that has become central to her life's work: no woman should lose her life simply for going about her day.

The mother of murdered University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana will take that message to an international audience when she addresses young leaders at the One Young World Summit in Cape Town from November 3 to 6.

As co-founder of the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation, she has dedicated herself to turning the tragedy of her daughter's death into a platform for education, prevention and meaningful action against gender-based violence (GBV).

Uyinene was just 19 when she was raped and murdered in August 2019 after visiting a post office to collect a parcel.

Her killing sent shockwaves across South Africa, sparked nationwide protests and intensified calls for greater protection for women and girls.

Her death became a defining moment in the country's conversation about gender-based violence, but for her family, the work of ensuring that other women do not suffer the same fate has continued long after the protests faded.

Through the foundation established in her daughter's name, Nomangwane has helped develop programmes aimed at empowering young people to challenge violence and contribute to safer communities.

The foundation's work includes GBV education and training, advocacy, survivor support and youth leadership development.

It also runs the Uyinene Mrwetyana Football Club, which works with boys through development programmes and psycho-education, with the aim of nurturing responsible and compassionate men.

Nomangwane's address comes as South Africa continues to face devastating levels of violence against women.

The Human Sciences Research Council's first national GBV Prevalence Study found that more than one in three South African women, or 35.5%, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime.

This translates to an estimated 7.8 million women, while about 1.5 million experienced such violence in the past year alone.

The South African Medical Research Council's most recent national femicide study found that three women are killed by an intimate partner every day.

Between April and June 2026, police recorded 9,195 rape cases, averaging approximately 100 reported cases a day.

In November 2025, government declared GBVF a national disaster.

More recently, a series of killings of women in Ekurhuleni once again brought the crisis into the national spotlight. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently announced measures, including a nationwide audit of unsafe public spaces and a review of unresolved GBV cases.

Against this backdrop, Nomangwane will challenge leaders and communities to look beyond public statements and expressions of outrage and consider what can be done to prevent violence before another woman is killed.

“SA does not need greater awareness of gender-based violence. We know what is happening to women and girls in our homes, communities and public spaces. What we need now is action from institutions, communities, leaders and individuals, before another woman’s death becomes the reason we pay attention,” she said.

At the summit, Nomangwane will take part in the GBV plenary challenge, one of five key challenges that will shape discussions among delegates.

One Young World's global consultation found that 62% of young leaders surveyed worldwide believe women live under a persistent threat of GBV. In South Africa, that figure rises to 91%.

The crisis stretches far beyond the country's borders. The World Health Organization's latest estimates show that nearly one in three women globally, approximately 840 million women and girls, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by someone else during their lifetime.

Nomangwane's contribution will focus on what meaningful prevention looks like, how public outrage can lead to lasting institutional and societal change, and why leaders must act before another tragedy forces the country to confront the crisis.

She will also explore how young people can help build communities where women and girls are safer.

One Young World managing director Ella Robertson McKay said Nomangwane's work reflected the kind of conversations the organisation hoped to bring to Cape Town.

“Nomangwane represents something essential to the conversation we want to have in Cape Town: not simply recognising the scale of GBV but asking what each of us is prepared to do about it. Her work demonstrates why prevention, education and young people must be part of that response. We are deeply honoured that she will bring this call to action to the One Young World Summit,” she said.

One Young World is a global network of more than 19,000 young leaders from 196 countries. Its annual summit brings together emerging leaders alongside prominent figures from the political, social, humanitarian and business sectors.

The gathering will take place less than three weeks before SA begins its annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, running from November 25 to December 10.