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Parliament, Monday, 3 August 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of the members of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NCGBVF) for the period 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029.

Committee chairperson, Ms Liezl van der Merwe, said the appointment of the seven candidates marks an important milestone in the implementation of the National Council on Gender Based Violence Act, 2024 (Act No. 9 of 2024), which established the Council as a statutory body to provide strategic leadership, oversight and coordination of South Africa’s response to the scourge of gender based violence and femicide.

Ms van der Merwe said, the committee congratulates Dr Ramalepe Lebogang Mathibe, Ms Keitumetse Fatimata Moutloatse, Ms Caroline Peters, Dr Zubeda Dangor, Ms Vuyisiwe Nxumalo, Mr Anele Siswana and Mr TWM Limema on their appointment to the Council. The committee further congratulates Dr Mathibe on her designation as Chairperson of the Council and Ms Welheminah R (Shoki) Tshabalala on her designation as Deputy Chairperson.

“The committee is pleased to learn  that the President has finalised the appointments following a transparent, rigorous and participatory process undertaken members of the committee in accordance with the provisions of the NCGBVF Act. The committee finalised the recruitment process of the Council last year in order for the President to make the final selection from the 10 named recommended by the committee.

The committee is confident that the appointed members possess the requisite expertise, experience and commitment to provide strategic leadership, strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration and drive the effective implementation of interventions aimed at preventing violence, protecting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable.

“As the Council commences its work at the beginning of Women’s Month, the committee calls on sectors of society, including government, civil society, the private sector, communities and ordinary South Africans to support the Council in fulfilling its mandate,” said Ms van der Merwe.

The committee wishes the newly appointed Council members success in executing their duties and responsibilities and looks forward to a constructive engagement with the Council as it will develop and spearheads the country’s goal of addressing  gender based violence and femicide.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the chairperson of the portfolio committee on women, youth and persons with disabilities, Liezl van der Merwe