Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has welcomed a R5.1 billion funding package to fight gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The money was announced by the Finance Minister in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.
Chikunga is the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. According to SAnews, R3.8 billion of the package will be used over the medium term to hire 3 552 social workers across the provinces.
These social workers will support GBVF prevention, early help, counselling and victim support programmes, the government said.
“These investments demonstrate government’s commitment to prioritising GBVF prevention and improving support services for women, children, and vulnerable communities,” Chikunga said.
The rest of the package includes R186 million to build forensic and investigation capacity. It also covers more sexual offences courts, which the government said will grow from 55 to 101.
The number of Thuthuzela Care Centres is set to rise from 72 to 80 by 2028/29, according to SAnews. Her department will also get R157.4 million to improve coordination and oversight of GBVF work.
Chikunga spoke on Friday, 13 November 2026, at a meeting with the Commission for Gender Equality. The meeting looked at Pillar 3 of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, which deals with justice, safety and protection.
She said the funding is an important step in dealing with money shortages. She said these shortages have hurt the government’s ability to carry out the national plan.
Chikunga said both the national plan and the GBVF Disaster Management Plans are still unfunded mandates. She said this limits her department’s ability to coordinate and oversee the work.
She said steady and dedicated funding is still needed. This would make sure the plan leads to real frontline services and protection for survivors, she said.
The minister said the government’s focus is now moving from writing policy to carrying it out on a large scale. She said there will be more attention on measurable results, accountability and building skills in provinces and municipalities.
The government listed its priority areas as justice services that put survivors first, better data and reporting, and more prevention and behaviour change programmes. Other priorities include better teamwork across the criminal justice system and lasting funding for the plan.
Chikunga said the fight against GBVF needs the whole government and the whole of society. She named civil society, business, organised labour, traditional leaders, faith groups and communities.
She also said men and boys must be involved in challenging harmful gender norms to help prevent violence.
“As we advance this work, we are guided by the understanding that ending GBVF is not only a government responsibility; it is a national imperative,” Chikunga said.
The theme for the 2026 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign is Letsema. It calls on men, women, boys and girls to work together to end gender-based violence and femicide.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.