Taletso TVET College student leader Onalenna Molelekwa stood before more than one thousand students and told a story many in the hall recognised but few have ever had the courage to speak about. Her voice was steady but heavy with memory as she described the pain she has carried since her own experience of GBV, an experience that shaped the tone and emotion of the college’s GBV and femicide awareness launch in Lehurutshe, Zeerust. The event was supported by the…

As South Africa prepares to observe the annual 21 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Child Abuse, courts across the country have delivered heavy sentences to perpetrators of rape, murder, and abuse, reaffirming the justice system’s commitment to protecting women and children. In the North West, the Christiana Regional Court sentenced Boikanyo Seemohela (30) to 18 years in prison for raping his nine-year-old nephew in 2021. The incident occurred while Seemohela, the victim, and his mother were staying…

South African courts this week delivered a string of heavy sentences in cases involving rape, child abuse, and violent crimes against women and children, underscoring the judiciary’s growing intolerance of gender-based violence (GBV). In one of the most chilling cases, the Evander Magistrates’ Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday sentenced 39-year-old Khutso Christopher Seopa to four life terms plus 45 years’ imprisonment. Seopa was convicted of raping four women, kidnapping two, and committing additional crimes, including robbery, unlawful possession of a…

Growing up, many boys are taught, directly or indirectly that a woman is like a child. Such teachings are part of the undocumented curriculum in initiation schools where men are taught that a woman must be protected, provided for, and guided. While on the surface this might sound like care or affection, beneath it lies a toxic message: that women are not fully autonomous adults. This flawed education quietly shapes the way many men interact with women throughout their lives,…

South African courts have in recent days handed down a series of notable convictions and heavy sentences in sexual offences cases, reflecting the country’s ongoing struggle against gender-based violence (GBV) and the justice system’s efforts to respond with severity. On Thursday, the Fraserburg Regional Court in the Northern Cape sentenced 37-year-old Dawid Bitterbos to four life terms for repeatedly raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter between 2017 and 2020. Bitterbos was convicted on four counts of rape of a minor under Section…

A chilling video shared on TikTok by a young man moments after he allegedly killed his ex-girlfriend has horrified South Africans and reignited debate on the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. The Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng, confirmed the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in the early hours of Friday, 22 August 2025, in Carousel View near Maubane. The man faces charges of murder and attempted murder after a deadly…

A disturbing video showing two women being brutally assaulted by men believed to be foreign nationals has ignited nationwide outrage and renewed calls for urgent action against gender-based violence (GBV). The footage, widely circulated on social media over the past few days, shows two men (Nigerian accent) slapping, punching, and dragging the women while accusing them of theft. The victims can be heard crying out for help, their pleas ignored as bystanders record the scene. According to community members who…

A disturbing pattern of violence against women has gripped the Gauteng suburb of Silverton, after police discovered the fourth burned body of a woman near the Watloo train station in Silvertondale on Monday afternoon. Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed to African Times that officers were called to the gruesome scene at approximately 15:30 on 4 August 2025, where the charred remains of an unidentified woman were found along Stormvoel Street, a stretch notorious for being poorly lit and…

Notinmyname International says it welcomes the landmark life sentence handed down by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to the Mamelodi man convicted of the systematic rape of his own daughter over a decade-long period of unspeakable cruelty. The accused preyed on his child from 2010, when she was just 9 years old, until 2020, when she turned 19 – a profound betrayal of trust and a horrific violation of her body, safety, and childhood. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Wednesday…

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has intensified its campaign against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), arresting 183 rape suspects during coordinated operations across the country in just one week. The arrests included 67 wanted suspects who had long evaded capture. These efforts form part of a broader 90-day anti-GBVF blitz launched by the government earlier this month in response to the persistent rise in violent crimes against women and children. The SAPS’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences…