President Cyril Ramaphosa will this evening address the country on steps being taken by government to confront the country's gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) crisis.

The President’s 19:00 address follows a horrifying wave of violence in and around the City of Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, where the bodies of 11 women were discovered dumped between July and September 2026.

Ramaphosa is expected to provide a detailed update on the ongoing law enforcement investigations into these murders.

The upcoming national address comes on the heels of a significant breakthrough by the South African Police Service (SAPS). Last week, members of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit arrested one man and two women in connection with the murder of the ninth victim.

On Monday, Ramaphosa described the ongoing abuse, rape, and murder of women as a "stain on the national conscience".

He issued a stern warning against the public humiliation of women, noting that such actions are often dismissed as harmless but directly reinforce the dangerous attitudes that sustain discrimination and systemic violence.

The escalating crisis has triggered a sharp political response from the DA, which has launched targeted political and legislative interventions specifically focusing on the Ekurhuleni killings.

Earlier this month, the party announced an additional R500 000 financial reward for any verifiable information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the individuals or network responsible for the murders.

Furthermore, the DA successfully secured an urgent debate in Parliament.

The DA has also launched a public petition fiercely rejecting recent statements from the SAPS that appeared to underplay their own culpability as law enforcement by advising women to take personal safety precautions.

The party criticised the police's stance, arguing that government must fulfil its constitutional mandate to protect citizens rather than shifting the burden of safety onto victims.