Amnesty International South Africa (SA) urged government to ensure timeous, transparent and effective implementation of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV-F) Bill.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday signed the GBV-F Bill and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill into law at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The Presidency said the GBV-F Bill marked a pivotal advancement in safeguarding the welfare of women across all sectors of society.

“The establishment of a council dedicated to driving a whole-of-society approach to combat this scourge is fundamental,” stated the Presidency.

Amnesty International SA executive director Shenilla Mohamed said the signing of Bill was a positive step towards ensuring the effective roll out of the National Strategic Plan on GBV-F which was adopted in 2020.

Mohamed noted that a review of the first year since the adoption of the National Strategic Plan on GBV-F showed that 55% of targets had not been met.

She highlighted that the new council was intended to provide oversight and ensure its implementation.

Mohamed highlighted that the Bill must also ensure adequate resources for the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, saying that without this the law on the national council and the strategic plan would have no real impact.