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The bodies of nine women who have recently been found dead in Ekurhuleni have once again revealed the devastating reality of gender-based violence (GBV) in Gauteng. They highlighted Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government's failure to protect its citizens, particularly women. While the Gauteng Department of Social Development’s (GDSD) 2025/26 Annual Report shows that more than 6.8 million people were reached through programmes aimed at preventing violence against women and children, only 285 of the targeted 526 GBV and crime victims accessed shelter services, barely half the target.

More concerning is what happens to the victims who do manage to find help. The department acknowledges that reduced funding for shelters has led to victims being placed far from their communities. This can mean children having to change schools and working victims facing travelling distances that impose an additional financial burden. Most disturbing of all is the department’s disclosure that some victims discharge themselves from shelters because of these challenges, effectively forcing them to return to the very circumstances they sought to escape.

The DA will table questions to the GDSD MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, demanding answers on the reduction in funded shelters, the availability and geographic distribution of shelters across Gauteng, and what the department is doing to ensure that victims are not forced to discharge themselves because the support system intended to protect them is inaccessible.

A woman fleeing violence should not have to choose between her safety and keeping her children in their school. She should not have to choose between escaping an abusive home and keeping her job. She certainly should not be put in a position were returning to an unsafe environment becomes easier than staying in a distant shelter.

Women must be able to access protection before violence escalates to the point where the only response is a murder investigation. While shelters cannot prevent every act of violence, they offer a safety net for women and children attempting to escape abusive or dangerous environments.

The department cannot celebrate the millions reached through awareness campaigns. At the same time, victims who need protection are being placed in circumstances that make it harder for them to remain in shelters. Awareness and prevention are important. But when violence happens, victims need somewhere safe and accessible to go.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial government would expand and better distribute shelters so women fleeing violence can access safety without sacrificing their children’s schooling, jobs, or support networks.

We would provide qualifying NPOs with longer-term funding agreements and ensure that approved funding is paid on time. Most importantly, we would track referrals, shelter capacity, and premature discharges to ensure women remain in safe accommodation.

Issued by DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development Refiloe Nt’sekhe